Zootopia Love Stories
by Jknight97
Summary: Short stories describing how their relationship progressed from a simple friendship to one of a deep burning love for one another. I will attempt to connect each one to one another but don't hold me to that.
1. The Memo

The Memo

* * *

A/N: This is based on the comic, The Nap Room, by Omame and featured in the Zootopia News Network website. All characters are owned by © Disney.

Many Japanese public service departments have nap rooms, where doctors, firefighters, police officers etc. can have a rest on long shifts. The ZPD is such a department, and in this sweet little story, Nick wakes up in the nap room with a certain someone in his arms!

* * *

Nick and Judy were the perfect team. As partners in the ZPD, they complemented each other flawlessly. Judy was always full of energy and was the gung-ho type. Nick was the slow methodical thinker and sought to resolve issues through non-violent means. Individually, their methods had intrinsic strengths and weaknesses but when they worked together, it was eerie how they seemed to almost think as one unit, even completing each other's sentences. Their time together was not limited to just work, though. As best friends, they also spent a lot of time after work and on weekends. It seemed like a natural extension of their friendship and neither of them gave it much thought although their co-workers at the ZPD seemed to think otherwise.

It had been a month since Nick had graduated from the Zootopia Police Academy and had begun his stint as Judy's partner. In that month, they had garnered an impressive record for number of criminals caught and cases solved. When they reported for work, Judy picked up Nick from his apartment, with a Snarlbucks coffee and muffin ready for him. That way, she was sure he would never be late and they would maintain their pristine attendance record. Nick had a penchant to sleep in so she acted as his alarm clock waking him up thirty minutes before she picked him up, giving him enough time to get ready for work. Which he did a very good job of, Judy thought. Nick took great pains to make sure his grooming was perfect and he didn't look too bad in his police uniform. He actually looked breathtaking in it. She, of course, never told him this. What she didn't know was that Nick took the time to make himself look good because of a certain bunny with amethyst eyes. Eyes that he got lost in every time he looked into them. Eyes that he would kill to be able to wake up each day to. But of course, he never told her this.

This routine worked like clockwork each day. That is until Judy encountered Morphy's Law: When things go bad, they get the shit-out-of-whack. Judy, after one particular grueling weekend where she and Nick had to do overtime to clear the backload of paperwork that had built up, had forgotten to set her alarm and had overslept. She ended up rushing to get dressed and didn't have time to brush her fur properly. This led to her waking a very tired fox who also had to rush to get dressed as Judy only lived 15 minutes away and she didn't have time to get him his usual Snarlbucks and muffin. So a very disheveled looking fox, who also had fur sticking out everywhere, was quite grumpy by the time Judy swung by his apartment.

They didn't talk to one another all through the ride and by the time they reached the ZPD, the morning meeting was almost over. They tried to get into the bullpen without being noticed, which of course was a bad idea since Bogo was a stickler for punctuality and hated it when his officers tried to sneak by him.

They both got called to his office where he gave them a stern dressing down and insinuated that he didn't care if they slept together as long as they maintained a professional relationship while at work, were punctual and properly groomed.

Both Nick and Judy felt that this was uncalled for and voiced their feelings about his insinuations, stating that they were merely friends.

"Don't care," said Bogo. "For now, I'm separating the two of you since you can't seem to tell the difference between your personal time and my time. Wilde, you start the night shift in Records immediately. Hopps, parking duty, one week. I'll find replacement partners for you in the meantime. Dismissed!"

Frustrated over the events of the day, they left Bogo's office knowing it would be impossible to change his mind once he had made it up and they parted ways, unhappy knowing that they wouldn't be seeing each other as much as they had previously. They promised to keep in touch at least through text messages.

Unbeknownst to them, nature tends to balance things out. Which is how Yhprom's Law took over: When things go right, beautiful music is created.

That afternoon a memo came out on the ZPD bulletin board.

 _Memo: Internal ZPD Memo 2016-59_  
 _Subject: The Nap Room_

 _In the interest of promoting higher employee morale and better work productivity, Mammal Resources is introducing, on an experimental basis, a Nap Room where mammals can take a power nap while on their lunch breaks or, when their shift ends so that they will be alert right afterwards. Mammals wishing to use the Nap Room must sign in at the Reception Desk prior to using it._

Nick saw the memo just as he started his shift and immediately told Clawhauser he was interested in using it after his shift ended, since being a nocturnal mammal, he felt a nap right after would help him prior to going home.

As the week passed for both Nick and Judy, neither one felt happy that their partnership was being severed for something as trivial as being late. Nick, having had many disappointments in life, was able to handle it a little better than Judy. Judy, on the other hand, was missing Nick, whether she cared to admit it or not. She wasn't sleeping well at night and was tossing and turning because of the many thoughts in her head. That and the dreams she would have seemed to be filled with a certain russet-coloured mammal.

So, by the time Friday rolled around, Judy was a walking shadow of herself. As she walked into the ZPD thirty minutes before her shift started, she decided that she needed to take a quick power nap lest she hurt herself whilst on parking duty. That, and the fact that the coffee she had drank this morning didn't seem to help her sleep deprivation. Ben wasn't at his usual place so she hopped up onto his desk, snatched up the clipboard and quickly signed in for the Nap Room.

When she got there, she found to her surprise that the only one there was Nick who was sound alseep. He looked so peaceful lying there. For some reason, her body began to move to him of its own volition and next thing she knew, she had snuck into his arms and lay next to him, cherishing the feeling of being in his arms. She smiled, closed her eyes and immediately fell into the deepest soundest sleep she had had the last four days.

After a few minutes, Nick woke up to find Judy in his arms. He was shocked to find her there. He looked around to see if anyone else had seen them. Then, after making sure that no one else was around, he studied her beautiful adorable face. Through their texts, Nick was aware that Judy hadn't been sleeping well at all mainly because of the impending breakup of their partnership. He had been planning to speak to Bogo about changing his mind after his shift had ended hoping the Cape Buffalo had time to cool down after Monday's fiasco. Looking at her though, he couldn't help but notice the small smile on her face and that she was cutely snoring away, unmindful of where she was. He was disarmed by the fact that even though she knew they could both get fired for being in the same room together, she had decided that the risk was worth it. And for Nick, as much as he hated to admit it, the feeling of holding Judy was something he had missed too. So without another word, he merely wrapped his tail around her and went back to sleep.

An hour later, Clawhauser popped into the Nap Room to wake Nick for his appointment with Bogo. When he saw the two of them in each other's arms, he had to hold back an excited squeal lest he wake them. He did manage to take a photo of them together so that he could post it on his private Furbook page later. He went back to his desk and just as he was about to post it, he heard Bogo call his name, startling him and inadvertently hit the post button.

"Clawhauser! Where is Wilde? I don't have the whole day to wait for him. I thought I told you to wake him up?"

"Uh, Chief, I did but something came up."

"And what, pray tell me, is more important than my time?" Bogo huffed.

"Chief, remember I told you that Officer Hopps hasn't been herself lately these past few days? Ever since you told them that you were going to separate them, she's been down in the dumps and she's told me she hasn't been sleeping very well these last few days. Same thing goes for Officer Wilde. He just seems to be going through the motions these last few days. No life in either of them."

"Well, I may have been a little harsh with them last Monday but what the hell has that got to do with Wilde's appointment with me?"

"Take a look at this photo, sir." Clawhauser passed Bogo his phone.

Bogo looked like he was about to have an aneurysm as he looked at the photo of the prone forms of Nick and Judy in each other's arms. Just as he was about to yell, Ben interjected, "Now Chief, before you start yelling, think about this. The two of them look very much at peace just now. Then there is the unmistakable fact of their record as partners. They have the best arrest and success rate when it comes to solving cases. They work well together. But look what happened when you separated them. Both of their performances suffered. Officer Hopps has barely been able to issue twenty traffic tickets a day. The Records Department has asked that Officer Wilde be reassigned as he has inadvertently misplaced files many times. He's becoming sloppy which is very unusual for him."

Bogo started to rub the bridge of his nose with his hoof. He knew Clawhauser had raised many good points but then there was the issue of fraternization which he knew he had to address. And, unfortunately, it would mean that he would have to let his two best officers go considering the degradation in their performance. He sighed heavily. Suddenly, Clawhauser's reception desk phone started to ring.

"ZPD, Officer Clawhauser speaking. Good morning Mayor! Chief Bogo? He's right here, sir. Hold on." Ben passed the phone on to Bogo.

"Good morning Mayor! What can I do for you? Photo? What photo? Officers Wilde and Hopps? Sleeping together? You're happy for them? And you want them to become the face of the Mammal Inclusion Initiative? Just so I'm clear, Mayor, you want the two of them to be seen as a couple in ZPD uniform, together in public and holding hands? Yes sir. I understand. Thank you for calling Mayor. Goodbye."

Bogo looked at Ben with fury in his eyes. "Did you just post that photo on the internet?" he demanded angrily.

Ben looked a little guilty and folded his ears around his head. "I only posted it to my private Furbook account," he said. "Only my friends could see it and…oh, dear. It looks like I forgot to change the settings to private and it got posted publicly instead. Sorry about that Chief," Ben apologized.

Bogo knew he couldn't get mad at Ben and maybe all of this wouldn't have happened if he hadn't been so harsh with Nick and Judy. They were his best pair of officers and he shouldn't have made the threat to separate them. However, now that the cat, or in this case fox and rabbit, was out of the bag, he couldn't do anything about it.

"Let them sleep for another hour. Then wake them and have them report to my office." He turned and strode off. Just as he was about to ascend the stairs, he turned to Clawhauser and said, "They do make an adorable couple. But don't tell them I said that." Bogo bellowed. "I have to keep up my tough appearance."

 _Memo: Internal ZPD Memo 2016-65_  
 _Subject: The Nap Room_

 _After having reviewed the efficacy of taking power naps, Mammal Resources has decided that a Nap Room is actually counterproductive because not all mammals have the same metabolism. Until such time that Mammals Resources can standardize the napping period required per mammal, the Nap Room will be closed and may be used for other purposes that will be determined in the future._


	2. The Offer

After Ben awakened them, both Nick and Judy went to report to Chief Bogo. Neither Nick nor Judy had been unhappy to find themselves in each other's arms as they awoke. In fact, after the week of being separated, it felt natural just being able to hold one another again. However, neither one verbalized the attraction they felt for each other. They felt it was best in order to maintain a professional working relationship. They both feared for the worst, as the cheetah would not tell them why Bogo wanted to see the both of them together. They last time they had seen Bogo, he had told them he was breaking up their partnership. They surmised that Bogo found about their sleeping together in The Nap Room and now they figured he was going to fire one or both of them for unprofessional conduct while on the job. They walked up the stairs holding each other's paws, a very sad pair of mammals. They did not speak but this did not mean their minds were idle.

As they stood before Bogo's door, they looked at one another, gave each other a supportive paw squeeze, shrugged and fearfully knocked. "Wilde! Hopps! Enter!" commanded Bogo. For some reason, he had that knack of knowing who was at his office door even though they hadn't uttered a sound. They entered his office and both of them clambered up onto the chair facing Bogo's desk. They sat ramrod straight in front of him, waiting for him to speak. He merely looked down on the paperwork on his desk and continued reading. Their paws gravitated towards one another on their own as they nervously waited, seeking refuge against the impending storm that they knew was about to hit. Bogo, seeing this, immediately looked up from his work and snorted furiously at them.

"It's that kind of unprofessional conduct which is unbecoming of police officers the reason why I should fire the both of you!" grunted Bogo.

"Chief," interrupted Judy, "it's not Nick's fault. I let my feelings for him get in the way of our being partners. If anything, don't fire Nick for my mistake. I'm his superior and I'll take the blame and resign." Judy said with a sad face, her ears drooping down behind her shoulders.

When Nick saw Judy's sadness, the image of her being bullied by Bogo back on the Sky-tram when they were investigating the case of the missing mammals, flashed back in his mind. This brought back the anger he felt against the large mammal whom he was facing. Even though Bogo was his commanding officer, he wanted to protect Judy for being singled out merely because she was a rabbit. "Now hold on there, Carrots. If there is anyone Chief Buffalo Butt should fire, it's me not you," as he glared at Bogo. "I shouldn't have allowed you to stay in my arms while we slept in the Nap Room. I should have also taken the appropriate action considering I'm older than you but I, too, let my feelings get in the way."

This went on for some time, each one defending the other up to the point that they were almost yelling at each other for being so stubborn. It was at this point that Bogo intervened. "Enough! Shut up the both of you. Especially you Wilde! If I hear a peep from either one of you before I'm finished, both of you will be handing in your shields. Is that clear?" Bogo snarled.

As both Nick and Judy nodded, they both realized that he hadn't said they were being fired, but being threatened with it if they continued arguing. They wisely closed their mouths and waited for Bogo to continue.

'Good. Now it seems a certain photograph of two of my finest officers sleeping in each others arms has come to light over the internet and has caught the attention of our distinguished Mayor." As both Nick and Judy opened their mouths, Bogo yelled again. "I said not a peep!"

He slowly stroked the bridge of his nose, aware of the impending headache that was starting to fester but he continued. "Our dear Mayor has decided that you two will make the perfect poster couple for the Mammal Inclusion Initiative program. The fact that you are in a predator-prey relationship makes it all the better given the ongoing tensions between the two classes. So he has requested, _against my better judgment_ , that you two continue working for the ZPD but would be supervised under the office of the MII. This means you get to continue wearing your badges but you will be engaged mostly in public relation work where the both of you will be seen holding hands in public and other public displays of affection that you both deem necessary to maintain the appearance of a relationship. Your new jobs are to promote the MII and at the same time calm down the tensions between predators and prey. Have I made myself clear so far?" Bogo huffed.

Judy was the first to speak up. "Chief, Nick and I are very close but I don't know if we can even call it a relationship. Why, we even haven't gone on a date yet! Besides, it seems rather demeaning that all we are going to be are just public relations material for the MII and ZPD yet we can't do any real police work like solving cases?"

Nick chimed in. "Carrots is right, Chief. I know neither of us would be happy just plastering fake smiles all the time just because we need to promote the MII. Besides, it would be a waste of two of your best cops and you know it!" Nick snarled.

Bogo glared back angrily. He knew they were right and yet he also had to abide by the rules and regulations for personnel conduct of the ZPD. He therefore made an offer that neither party could refuse.

"Normally, once there is a hint of an interoffice relationship, the proper procedure is to separate the two mammals involved so that there will not be any conflict of interest. In the case of police officers, this could also lead to poor decision-making based on emotional conflict within the relationship. However, there is the precedence of their commanding officer allowing said relationship to continue as long as the work performance of the couple does not suffer. So, you have the choice of accepting the Mayor's gracious offer and I will see about assigning cases to the both of you as long as you can prove to me that the two of you can conduct yourselves in a professional manner at all times. Any hint of you failing to perform your duties or of conduct unbecoming of police officers and I will definitely recommend that you both be separated despite the Mayor's request. I do not want to see a repeat of this week's appalling behaviour. Are we clear on this?" Bogo growled.

Both Nick and Judy looked at one another. Given that the situation was not the best, it at least gave them the chance to continue working together as a team plus being able to solve cases once in a while. They came to a silent mutual understanding and with a slight squeeze of each other's paw, they agreed to Bogo's terms.

"Good. Now, as the poster couple of the MII, you need to look your best at all times. Both of you will take the day off today and report back to work on Monday in your best-pressed uniforms. I will assign the areas where you will patrol after coordinating with the MII. Now get out of my office so that I can do some real work for a change. Dismissed!" With that, Bogo put his glasses back on the bridge of his nose and turned away from them while looking at more documents.

* * *

As they left Bogo's office, Nick and Judy decided that they should go back to Nick's apartment, as it was closer, so that they could plan their next steps. They figured they should pass by a nearby Snarlbucks as both realized that they had not had any breakfast yet plus they thought better on a full stomach.

As they descended the stairs from Bogo's office, they were met with a very loud squeal from Clawhauser. "O…M…Goodness! Don't the both of you make an adorable couple! I could just eat the both of you up, figuratively of course! You should see how the topic #WildeHopps is trending on Woofer right now! Not only are you the heroes of Zootopia, but the fact that you are romantically involved is the hottest topic on social media!"

"Uhhh…thanks Ben," Judy said with a nervous laugh. "But, we don't want the publicity. We only want to be able to do our jobs in peace."

"I agree with Carrots, Ben. I can see the paparazzi and celebrity reporters making it difficult for us to do our jobs properly. Why, we can't even do a decent stakeout if everyone knows our face plus the media will be following us everywhere." Nick huffed in anger.

"Pshaw, Nick," said Ben. "You forget how quickly news becomes old in Zootopia. It'll be on the airwaves for maybe a week or two, and then it will be replaced by something juicier. Enjoy the ride for now. In the meantime, since you're both off today, why not go out on the town tonight and celebrate your becoming an item? It'll give them the fodder they need and then they'll move on to something else." Ben said with a grin.

"That's another problem, Ben. If anything, Nick and I still have to sort out our feelings for one another and we'd rather do that privately rather than having it thrust in the spotlight for everyone to see and dissect," commented Judy. "Why, he's never even asked me out on a proper date." Judy smirked.

"Whoa there, Carrots. What about all those movie nights we've spent at either your place or mine? Those late-night dinners? And those weekend picnics? Don't those count?" Nick asked, feigning being insulted.

Judy grinned. "Nah, those were just times we hung out as friends. I'm an old-fashioned bunny. I like to be wooed before I commit to a relationship. And I mean a real date where we were dressed more than just our gym clothes or slacks. Are you saying, Wilde, you can't handle bringing this awesomeness," as Judy swept her paw from head to foot, "on a real date? What happened to Mr. Fantastic Fox?" challenged Judy with a twinkle in her eye.

"So we're playing that game, eh? Fine. Be prepared to be wooed like you've never been wooed before. I'll have you asking for my hand soon enough." Nick smarmed.

"In your dreams, Wilde!" Judy shot back with a chuckle.

"I believe it's the other way around, Officer Fluff." Nick snickered.

The pleasant bantering was one of the aspects of their relationship, which indicated to others that they were more than just friends but to which they were oblivious to. They continued their verbal sparring as they exited the ZPD and all Ben could do was scratch his head and sigh.

* * *

As they settled on the couch in Nick's apartment, both Nick and Judy began to realize what they would have to put up with for the next few days, even weeks. From the moment they had left the sanctuary of the ZPD, the paparazzi and reporters from various gossip and tabloid magazines had hounded them, buzzing about like a swarm of angry bees, until they managed to reach the privacy of Nick's apartment.

Judy was not a happy bunny and although she tried to hide it, her drooping ears and twitching nose gave her away to Nick who had always been sensitive to her moods. So, as they sat next to each other, consuming their respective breakfasts, he dared to reach out a paw and wrapped it around her shoulder. Judy did not shy away and instead leaned into Nick all the more.

"C'mon, Fluff. You know you can talk to me. Why the sad face?"

He knew Judy tried to put on a brave front and would always try her best to make things right. She was a determined bunny and that was one of the aspects that Nick loved about her. She had learned to not show her weaknesses to others, a trait she had quickly picked up from him but it didn't mean that she was not hurting on the inside. And now was one of those times. All the pent-up emotions came bursting forth like a sagging beaver dam rotted from within. As the tears began to fall, he pulled her to his lap, held her tightly and curled his tail around her.

"Nick, I hate it!" she sobbed. "We had a very good thing going and I was happy being your partner without all these stupid pressures now being forced upon us. And most of all, it isn't fair to you! I know I like you but I don't want to influence you into making a decision about us just so I can keep my job. And did you hear those condescending questions?" Judy said angrily through her tears. "They were humiliating and most of all quite demeaning to you. As if you haven't proven yourself to them before. All the hard work you've done and how you've turned your life around. Why, I'm the luckiest bunny to have you as my partner!"

"Judy," Nick started, "don't feel bad for me. I'm used to it. I've been a fox all my life. And who's to say I haven't already made up my mind about us? You were the only one who believed in me, telling me that I could be more than just a con-fox skirting the law everyday. You're the one who inspired me to become the highly decorated officer that I am today. And I would not have it any other way. I'm also the luckiest mammal in Zootopia because you call me your best friend and partner. You make me complete, Judith Laverne Hopps." Nick whispered.

"Nick," Judy hiccupped as she gazed up into his emerald eyes, "are you saying that you like me as much as I like you? Even more?"

"It depends, my little dumb bunny," Nick smirked. "What does your definition of 'like' mean?" Nick shot back with a twinkle in his eyes.

Judy blushed. "That's not the way a gentlemammal asks the bunny he's courting," she huffed playfully as she gently smacked him on the chest.

Nick laughed at her sudden change in mood. How she could swing from being an emotional mess to a flirtatious tease in one breath always caught him off balance. Which he found intriguing and positively refreshing.

"If this gentlemammal will be courting his wonderful, beautiful and amazing bunny, he should have some sort of encouragement or else he'll get easily dissuaded and give up the chase quite early in the game." Nick proposed with a waggle of his eyebrows.

"Oh, hush, Slick! Come here," as she grabbed his collar and kissed him on his cheek. Nick was glad that his fur was red or else she would have seen him blush.

"Now, that's a good start," he laughed. Judy giggled as they happily cuddled on the couch and fell asleep once more in each other's arms.

* * *

When they awoke, it was almost four in the afternoon. They decided that because of the horde of reporters looking to score a quick interview, it would be best that they stay together until such time that the furor had died down. Nick suggested that Judy stay over in his place since he had more room than she did and she could stay in the guest bedroom in the meantime. Judy saw the logic of this and agreed that it was a good plan. They waited until it was much later in the evening so that they could venture out into the streets to go to Judy's place to pick up clothes for her stay at Nick's hoping not to run into any reporters.

Nick, in the meantime, scrounged around the kitchen to see if he could find any food for his rabbit girlfriend. _Girlfriend. It has a nice ring to it,_ Nick smilingly admitted to himself. There wasn't much in his place as he normally cooked only for himself. He did manage to find some fruit, crackers and some blueberry juice cocktails. _If she'll be staying here, we'll need to pass by the grocery to stock up on some food,_ Nick thought. He remembered there was a twenty-four-hour grocery near his place, which they could swing by after picking up Judy's clothes from her apartment.

Nick brought the food to the couch where Judy was sitting watching the news. Although they didn't make the headlines, the celebrity gossip portion focused heavily on their being a couple plus there was a joint statement from both the Mayor's Office and the ZPD. The statement merely reiterated what Bogo had told them while in his office: that they were the new poster couple of the MII program and that they had recently announced that they had entered into a relationship with one another. Other than that, there wasn't much more on the news about them.

Suddenly, Judy's phone began to ring. She saw that it was her parents calling. She groaned. "What do I tell them, Nick?"

Nick looked at her just as helplessly. "The truth? That we're exploring our feelings for one another? Something believable just so that your dad doesn't come here all the way from Bunnyburrow with his shotgun looking to put holes in my hide?"

Judy frowned at Nick. "Please Nick! He's not a savage. He's not going to hurt you. He's a real marshmallow. Look, let me talk to them first, okay? I'm sure they'll like you as soon as they get to know you like I do," she said as she turned to answer her phone.

"Hi Mom! Hi Dad! How have you been?" Judy greeted her parents with a forced smile on her face.

"Where is that devious fox? How dare he take advantage of my daughter! I'm going over there right now and fill him with buckshot!" as the angry face of her father appeared on her phone.

Nick immediately hid behind the couch not wishing to be seen.

Judy rolled her eyes. "Dad, first of all, his name is Nick. Second, he has not taken advantage of me. We're exploring a relationship together and the media has blown a simple photo of us together out of proportion. Third," and this time she looked at her father with anger in her eyes, "if you come here to Zootopia with your shotgun to hurt Nick, I'll personally put the cuffs on you and throw you in jail!" as she nearly snarled at him.

Her mom's face came next on the screen, "Now bun-bun, it's just that we're worried about you. Zootopia is a big and scary place full of predators. We just don't want to see you get hurt, especially by that fox!"

Judy at this point was getting fed up with the speciesist remarks from her parents. "Mom, Nick is my partner! He and I look out for each other. I trust him with my life. And I'm sure he trusts me with his. We would never let each other down nor would we let the other get hurt. If you can't trust my decisions, then this conversation is over!" she threatened.

This seemed to calm her parents down and they continued their conversation in a much calmer tone. In the end, Judy promised to visit Bunnyburrow with Nick so that she could introduce him properly to them. If Nick could have turned white as a sheet, he would have as soon as she gave them her word that they would visit soon.

* * *

"Judy, can I take a rain check on that visit?" Nick said from behind the couch. "I think I'd rather have my tail shaved than meet your angry parents and three hundred siblings."

"Nick, get over here you big baby!" Judy ordered. Nick quickly obeyed Judy. When she spoke in that tone, he dared not disobey. As soon as he was back on the couch, she sat in his lap and started to slowly caress his head and scratch him behind the ears. After a while, his right hind paw started to jiggle about on its own and he had a glazed look on his face as his tongue hung out. She laughed at this and said, "Is my brave strong fox scared of some itty-bitty bunny rabbit?"

Nick managed to recover his composure. "No fair, Judy. You caught me off guard. Yeah, I am especially if that itty-bitty rabbit is carrying a shotgun full of fox pellets. Plus meeting a whole herd of angry rabbits reminds me too much of _Bunnies of Mass Destruction_ " Nick said with a slight shiver.

Judy sighed and apologized. "I'm sorry you had to hear those speciesist remarks from my parents, Nick. I know they hurt, especially having to hear it from them. You really don't deserve to be treated that way."

Nick subsided a bit. He quietly asked Judy, "Did you really mean it? What you told your dad what you'd do to him if he came to Zootopia with his shotgun?"

"Of course, you dumb fox! Nobody treats my partner that way! Not even my own parents." Judy huffed. "Like I told them, we have each other's back and we're there for each other."

Nick reached out for Judy's paw and placed his forehead on hers as he looked into her amethyst eyes and caressed her cheek with his other. "Sometimes, I like to think, in more ways than just being friends."

Judy blushed at his words. "I, too, like the way you think, Slick," Judy said warmly with a smile as she squeezed his paw and gazed back into his emerald ones.


	3. The Move

The Move  
(co-authored and edited by Selaxes and NightWolf0179 of fanfiction)  
 _Inspired by the fan art, "Moving In Together" by TheCuriousFool in DeviantArt  
_

* * *

A/N: I'm happy to introduce my two co-authors and editors, Selaxes and Nightwolf0179, who helped me out when I was stuck with writer's block on this chapter. To say that I'm pleased with the outcome is an understatement. They have their own stories as well and I recommend you check them out in FanFiction. And here is the usual disclaimer:

All characters are owned by ©Disney.

* * *

Using Nick's car - their squad car being too conspicuous – they grabbed some of Judy's clothes from her apartment and made their way to the 24-hour grocery store. They had managed to give the slip to the reporters camped outside of Nick's apartment and were able to complete their grocery shopping without further trouble.

Once they were back in the apartment, Nick started to prepare their evening meal while Judy settled herself in the guest bedroom. When she finished unpacking, she went to join Nick in the kitchen and observed him as he prepared a spinach _frittata_. He had peeled two small potatoes and cut them into thin slices which he then sautéed in olive oil along with chopped onions in an iron skillet. While that was cooking, he had beaten about six eggs in a bowl, added some milk, salt, pepper, spinach leaves and freshly ground _Parmigiano_ cheese. Once he was happy that the potatoes were soft enough, he arranged them in a layer and poured the egg mixture into the skillet. After about ten minutes of cooking over medium heat, he added more cheese to the top and then put the skillet into the oven where he allowed the dish to cook further for another ten minutes at 350° Fahrenheit. He then took it out using a potholder and allowed it to rest for about five minutes on a trivet. While it was cooling, he sliced a _baguette_ , placed the sliced bread on a tray, which he then popped into the still hot oven and scooped out a few balls of butter to use.

Judy, amazed at how efficiently Nick worked in the kitchen, commented, "I never knew you could cook, Nick. Now I just have to figure out how to make you work just as quickly on our case files as you do in the kitchen," she teased.

"Har, har, Officer Hopps," he grinned back. "Well, it is inspiring, having a cute little bunny taking residence with me…ouch!" Nick exclaimed as a well-aimed grape hit him in the face.

"Don't call me cute, Wilde," Judy warned humorously.

"But, Carrots, you know that I mean that in a good way, right? It's not demeaning if I call my girlfriend cute now, is it?" Nick smiled.

"Your girlfriend? Hmmm…I like the sound of that," she grinned. "Okay, what about we lay down a few ground rules in light of the fact that we'll need to act professionally starting Monday yet fulfill the duties as required by the Mayor? Like, for one, no calling me cute in public. I'll accept it when we're alone or in the apartment. But very sparingly," she warned. "You've already used your quota for the day." Judy sniggered.

"Fine, I'll accept that. What about holding paws and other public displays of affection? What's allowed and what's considered conduct unbecoming?"

"According to the ZPD Ethical Standards of Conduct," said Judy reciting from memory, "police officers shall not, in the course of performing their duties, engage in any sexual contact or conduct constituting lewd behavior. It also includes any communication or behavior by an officer that would likely be construed as lewd, lascivious, inappropriate, or conduct unbecoming an officer and violates general principles of acceptable conduct common to law enforcement. So, if both of us are in a consenting relationship, the rules don't say anything about holding hands or kissing in public as long as said kisses are of a chaste nature. However, I do want to show Chief Bogo that we can conduct ourselves professionally while on duty and while on break, we can then be ourselves for the press," Judy chuckled.

"Alright, Carrots. I can do that. But keep in mind that you are giving me permission to appropriately kiss you in public as long as we are off duty," he grinned mischievously. "I may have to take advantage of that offer more than once."

Her ears were heating up. "Oh, it won't be that easy. You may have to work for those kisses. I can't just give in to you so easily, now, can I?" The look in her fox's eyes just gave her more motivation to continue teasing him, working him up. "You may have to work the charm you so humbly boast about all the time. Think you can handle that, foxy?"

"Oh, it'll be easier for me than you think, 'coz Nicholas Wilde is the real deal. If you didn't notice, Officer Fluff, all this charm is natural." Nick stretched in the air with his paw thrusting upwards in a dramatic pose.

"As natural as hot air, if you ask me," snickered Judy.

"You wound me, Fluff!" said Nick, as he used the potholder to pull out the tray holding the warmed sliced _baguette_ out of the oven. "Anyway, dinner is getting cold. Let's eat!"

* * *

After dinner, they cleaned up in the kitchen together and then retired to the couch. Judy stretched and said, "If we're going to be eating like this everyday, I wouldn't mind moving in with you, Slick. Your cooking is delicious. I'm stuffed," she smiled happily as she patted her stomach.

"Now that's a thought," Nick mused, "But what would you be bringing to the table aside from your voracious appetite?" Nick teased.

Judy faked her indignation as she said, "Hey, it's been a long day and we bunnies have a very high metabolism." Nick snorted derisively at this.

"Anyway," Judy continued, "it makes perfect sense if I live here with you. For one, you'll have more time to sleep in plus we can get to work faster from here. We'll save on the rent and utility bills. I'll help with the cleaning of the place since this apartment is too large for just one mammal." Judy took a look around. "Speaking of which, when did you last give this place a good dusting? I can practically grow crops on the floor," Judy joked.

"Yeah, right," Nick said drolly, "and I thought I was the comedian in this relationship, Carrots," retorted Nick.

Judy continued with a naughty smile. "Well, I saved the best reason for the last. Living together means that we can spend more time together as a couple and cut back on the traveling time between apartments. Besides, I've already slept over once or twice when we had those marathon movie nights."

"So it has nothing to do with the fact that you can't resist being around me?" Nick snickered as he ducked a pillow thrown by Judy. "Anyway, I accept your offer, Officer Hopps. It'll be nice to have something else besides a lamp brighten this dreary place," Nick said with a twinkle in his eyes as he reached over to bring Judy closer to him. Judy giggled like a high school girl with her crush. She relished the feeling of safety she felt when she was in his arms. She had not had much experience when it came to dating but with Nick, she felt at ease with him. And even though she would not admit it to his face, she loved being around him. She was content to take things slowly. For now, just sitting on the couch and cuddling was very relaxing.

* * *

Over the weekend, Nick helped Judy to break her lease with her old landlady and pack up her belongings for the move to Nick's apartment. Dharma Armadillo didn't seem surprised considering that their relationship was plastered all over the gossip columns and tabloids. She still kept Judy's security deposit for failing to provide enough notice beforehand. Judy was vexed over it but decided that the faster she left, the better her life would be. So she forced a smile on her face as she handed her the keys to her apartment and said goodbye to Bucky and Pronk Oryx-Antlerson, her two loud and noisy neighbours whom she suspected were a gay married couple. She would not miss their daily bickering and the lack of personal privacy, as they tended to remark on her life's events as they eavesdropped through the paper-thin walls.

Judy didn't have much in the way of belongings as she had had very little room in the closet space known as her apartment. She was ecstatic that she no longer had to share a communal bathroom since she had her own in the bedroom of the apartment. As for sleeping arrangements, Nick and Judy decided that they would stay in their own separate rooms, more out of propriety sake. It was still too early in their relationship and neither one was ready to take it any further for now.

That Saturday evening, Nick prepared a Welcoming/Housewarming dinner for Judy to celebrate this important milestone in their lives. He shooed her out of the kitchen saying that he wanted to surprise her. He sent her on an errand to pick up an order that he had placed in a specialty store that was almost an hour to and from the apartment. Judy was intrigued by what Nick was going to cook but she agreed to pick up the items from the store. When she arrived at the store, it was a bakery that catered primarily to lagomorphs and their specialty was a decadent carrot cheesecake. Her mouth watered at the sight but she kept herself from sampling it prematurely as she didn't want to spoil Nick's surprise. On the way back, Nick called her phone to ask her to pass by a wine store that was near their place to also pick up a bottle of wine that he had ordered for their meal that evening.

As Judy entered the apartment with the cake and the bottle of wine, she noticed that the lights had been dimmed and that Nick had several lit candles around and on the dinner table. She placed the dessert and the wine on the table and called out laughing, "Nick, I'm back. Where are you, you crazy fox?"

Nick stepped out of the kitchen wearing a waiter's costume with a towel draped across one arm and said with a fake accent, "Welcome, _mademoiselle_! We haff been expecting you! Please, take zee chair," Nick said as he bowed with a flourish while holding out the chair for Judy to sit in. In spite of the cheesiness, Judy appreciated all that Nick was doing to make the dinner as memorable as possible for her.

So, she played along. " _Merci, monsieur_! I was told that this is a very classy restaurant and that the food here is superb."

"Ah, _oui, oui_! We haff one of zee finest chefs in zee land. A bit temperamental if you ask me but still one of zee best!"

"So, what would recommend for this evening?" Judy inquired.

"I shall ask zee chef himself to come out so zat he may discuss it with you. In zee meantime, I shall haff him bring you a glass of divine nectar crafted by zee gods from grapes zat were nourished and kissed by zee sun," as he snagged both the bottle and dessert from the table where Judy had left them.

Nick stepped into the kitchen and she heard him calling out to an imaginary person and having a conversation with them. " _Oi!_ _Imbécile_! Zee lady outside would like to have zee word wit' you about zee dinner tonight!"

"Aye, keep your shirt on, laddy! A mammal only has two paws, ya know? Stop bein' a wee scunner! Away wit' ya and beil yer heid!" Nick then emerged from the kitchen wearing a _toque_ , white scarf around his neck and a typical chef's uniform. He also carried Judy's drink, which she surmised was from the bottle she had brought. "Ach, my friend back there never told me that we had such a wee bonny lass this evening! Allow me to welcome you to our place. I would like to present to you with this delicate full-bodied red wine from the region of _Rioja_ , which will perfectly pair with tonight's dinner, _paella vegetariana_ , a heavenly rice dish cooked with vegetables that were handpicked by the gods themselves. The dessert will be a decadent carrot cheesecake using only one hundred percent baby carrots all massaged prior to being used and meant to melt in your mouth the moment it touches your lips. Now, if you will excuse me…"

"Nick!" Judy interrupted him with a huge smile.

"Pardon, lassy, who is this 'Nick' you speak of? I'm just a humble chef…" Nick continued, caught up in his role.

"Stop it, you goofball! Can I have my roommate back, please?" Judy pleaded with her big, soft, amethyst eyes.

Nick took one look at her eyes and he sighed. "No fair, Carrots. Those eyes have got to be listed as deadly weapons. I can never say no to you, you know that, right?" Nick chuckled.

"Do I know that? Yes, yes, I do," she giggled. "Now come here!" Judy demanded as she grabbed his shirt and pulled him into a big hug. "Thanks for preparing dinner and the show," she laughed, her head resting on his chest. "It's the nicest thing that anyone has ever done for me ever since I came to Zootopia. You know, Nick," as she looked up into his emerald orbs, "I'm glad that we met over a year ago. You really changed my life around in so many ways." She then stretched up and placed a kiss on his nose. They continued to gaze into each other's eyes, savouring the moment.

Nick then suddenly remembered, "My _paella_!" he shouted as he dashed back into the kitchen. Judy couldn't stop laughing.

* * *

Nick had managed to save the dish from being burnt and as he had promised, it indeed was delicious. And the decadent carrot cheesecake was to die for as Judy sneaked in a second serving, which she knew she would regret later. She would just have to run the extra miles the following days to burn off the additional calories. Nick prepared a lavender tea infusion for her, which she took to the couch, as Nick would not let her help with the cleaning. Feeling full and content, she recollected the events of the past week and how it led to her now living together with Nick. She smiled at how things seemed to always work themselves out for the both of them. It seemed that they were destined to be together and tonight proved how caring a mammal Nick could be and why she was so attracted to him. As she sat there drinking her tea, she felt her eyelids growing heavier. She still hadn't managed to catch up on her lost sleep plus the move took a lot out from her even with Nick's help. She yawned a bit and thought a quick nap wouldn't hurt so she decided to close her eyes for a few minutes.

Nick found her there fast asleep on the couch. He had sensed that she was still tired from last week's ordeal which was why he had refused to let her help prepare dinner and clean up the kitchen. He smiled as he gently picked her up from the couch and carried her to her bed. It was a testament to her fatigue that she never once woke up despite the fact that he knew her to be a light sleeper. As he tucked her in, he looked at her beautiful face and realized what a lucky mammal he was for someone like her to even like a mammal like him. He gently placed a goodnight kiss on her forehead before sneaking out of her room.

* * *

Sunday came and went and Monday soon rolled around. For Judy and Nick, it came too soon as they dreaded the thought of becoming the token bunny and fox of the department. However, they knew that they would support each other during this demanding time being the poster couple of the Mammal Inclusion Initiative program.

As they walked into the bullpen in their impeccably pressed uniforms, they were greeted by catcalls, hoots, wolf whistles and howls from their fellow officers.

 _"_ _Way to go, Wilde!"_

 _"_ _He's putty in your hands, Hopps!"_

 _"_ _It's about time you two got together!"_

Nick acknowledged all the attention with a wave of his paw while Judy shyly blushed. As they approached the chair they shared, he held out his paw to Judy to assist her up which she gladly took. "Such a gentlemammal," she giggled. Nick gave her his trademark smirk as he waggled his eyebrows at her.

Once they were both seated, Nick turned in his seat to wave again to their fellow officers with a large grin plastered on his face. "Thank you good mammals! We'll be here all week! Don't forget to tip your waitress!" Judy elbowed him, which caused Nick to almost spill his coffee. "Cut it out, Nick. You've milked it enough. We're supposed to act professionally while at work, remember?"

"Oh, come on, Carrots. I was just having a little fun. Besides, no harm done, right?" Nick said as he grinned at her. Judy just huffed at him as Bogo entered the room.

"All right! Shut it!" Bogo yelled to the room as the mammals welcomed him in their usual rowdy and loud manner. "As you all know, the Mayor has made a special request for two of our officers to be on special assignment with the MII program. That being said, I expect those two," as he glared at Nick and Judy directly, "to conduct themselves in a professional manner becoming of ZPD police officers."

"Why, Chief, I didn't think you cared," sassed Nick. Judy looked askance while the rest of the squad roared out in laughter.

"Shut it, Wilde! One more word out of you and I'll personally make you into my winter coat!" Bogo threatened as a large vein started to pulse in his neck.

Judy quickly applied pressure on a particular spot on Nick's elbow just as he was about to talk back to Bogo, which caused Nick to yelp out in pain. "Apologies, Chief! I'll keep my partner in check!" Judy declared.

"See that you do Hopps or else you'll have both have parking duty for the next month despite the Mayor's request. I'll be watching the both of you!" as he pointed a hoof from his eyes to the both of them.

Nick was about to open his mouth when Judy firmly clamped her paw around his muzzle keeping him quiet. "Understood, Chief!" Judy replied, glaring at Nick with the unspoken threat, _say one more word and I'm going to skin you myself!_ Nick wisely avoided becoming another crime victim statistic.

* * *

They received their orders to patrol the Downtown and Savanna Central for a week. As per the request of the MII Department, they were to do foot patrol in between the areas of Little Rodentia and Savanna Central for maximum visibility while engaging the citizens of Zootopia in small talk among the various parks in order to promote the benefits of joining the ZPD especially to the smaller mammals.

Although not as exciting as pursuing criminals or solving cases, both Nick and Judy realized that if they could encourage more of the smaller mammals to join the police department, they would then be able to provide better protection for the residents of Little Rodentia, who currently avoided calling on the ZPD mainly because the larger mammals could easily create havoc in the district because of their size. Plus, there was something to be said about the inherent advantage a smaller mammal could have when it came to police undercover work as they could easily hide or be unobserved due to their miniscule dimensions.

Although it was not a challenging assignment, they were kept very busy attending to the needs of the citizens such as helping old mammals cross the street, keeping the traffic flowing in the busy streets of Zootopia, attending the special School Visitations as arranged by the Mayor' office, getting small kits out of trouble when they got stuck climbing trees, and the occasional foot chase as they successfully caught various thieves and pickpockets. They were generally welcomed and accepted by most of the population. There were, however, the rare instances when a prejudiced mammal would openly criticize their relationship. Each time something like this occurred, Judy would become infuriated and nearly lose her composure. Nick, on the other hand, maintained a cool outward appearance and kept repeating his personal mantra to her: _Never let them see that they get to you_.

* * *

By Wednesday morning, Nick and Judy had noticed that throng of media personnel had thinned out considerably. At the beginning of the week, the press had hounded them, keeping a close watch on their every move. For the first couple of days, the reporters and photographers were practically breathing down their necks, scrutinizing everything they did. But as the days passed, the editors realized that they were involved in pretty mundane day-to-day tasks and started to reassign their personnel to other jobs. By the time the end of their shift came that day, not a single media representative hung around, finally giving them the privacy they so desired.

Nick had been contemplating all week long Judy's statement that she wanted to be courted the old-fashioned way. He was not averse to the idea and he felt that it would help them to get to know one another on a more personal level. As they entered their apartment, Nick said, "Hey Judy? Now that the media won't bother us anymore, what say we go out on our very first official date on Saturday? We can start out having an early dinner at this small cozy café that I know of then we can go out and catch a movie. You can choose the movie," he offered.

"Nick," she squealed excitedly, hopping around the apartment, "that's the best news I've heard all week. And we can even get dressed for the occasion!" Judy laughed. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" as she gave him a huge hug. Nick was inwardly overjoyed that he had managed to make her happy.

"Anything for you, Fluff, you know that?"

"Do I know that? Yes, yes I do, Slick," as she grinned from ear-to-ear, grabbing his tie and pulling him down to her level for a well placed kiss on his cheek before hurrying into her bedroom. "I've got to start preparing right away! Gotta call some of my sisters for advice," the rabbit squeaked with excitement as she disappeared into the room.

Nick grinned. He had never seen Judy this excited not unless they were chasing some perpetrator. He made his way to his own bedroom, whistling softly as he mentally planned out the date. Although he hated to admit it, he was just as excited as she was - plus a little scared considering that he hadn't done this in a long time and he was afraid of messing things up.

* * *

On Thursday, Nick had gotten careless. He had been busy thinking of his date with Judy on Saturday that he had missed the fact that the perpetrator they were chasing had a gun on him. As a former street hustler, he would have easily picked out the telltale bulge of the weapon on the hip of the mammal tucked underneath his shirt. He was so caught up in his reverie that it was only when Judy alerted him about the crime in progress was he able to focus. They were both in pursuit when he and Judy split up in order to catch him in a classic pincer move. He was right on the tail of the coyote while Judy ran on a parallel course. He kept her up to date wherever he was through their radio. He noticed that the coyote had turned left into an alley that he knew had a very high fence so he instructed to Judy to intercept from the other end. As he turned into the alleyway to pursue, it seems that the coyote had deliberately led Nick into a trap. He saw the coyote raise his arm to take a shot at him. It was only because of Nick's reflexes and police training that the shot missed. Nick rolled to the side behind a large dumpster as a second shot ricocheted off the lid. Nick attempted to contact Clawhauser on his radio to request for backup when he realized that he had inadvertently damaged it when he had ducked to avoid the first shot. He only hoped that Judy had heard the two shots and had already called for backup. He needed to keep the coyote distracted since he didn't want Judy to become the next target of the criminal.

"Some pretty good shooting there…for a rank amateur. My grandmother could shoot better than you…blindfolded!" Nick called out.

"Fuck you, copper! You ain't taking me back to jail. Been there and I didn't like it! There's no way in hell you're going to take me alive!" shouted the coyote.

"Hey son, no need to go down that road. Besides, it's only a misdemeanor for firing a gun in a public area. And I don't know where you get your material but you need to stop watching old James Pugney films. Those lines are all clichés." Nick retorted.

A third shot rang out this time hitting the wall above the dumpster directly, showering Nick with debris. He took his mobile phone out and used the photo option to scan the alleyway in hopes of locating the shooter. "Well, lookie here, your aim's improving, but not by much. My six-year old niece can do better than you. Give up peacefully and I'll have her give you shooting instructions. Won't that be fun?" he said mockingly. Two more shots rang out as the coyote was starting to lose his patience.

"Yeah? Well, maybe I'll get lucky today and add police killer to my street cred, eh, foxy? I know who you are! First fox cop of Zootopia. Guess what? You'll soon become the first dead fox cop, asshole!"

"Oh, I'm shaking in my paws here. Maybe I'll have my grandmother come over and wash that mouth out with soap. Such filth! Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?"

Two more shots rang out as the shooter had him pinned down behind the dumpster. But this time, he was able to locate the coyote who had backed himself foolishly into a corner of the alleyway. "Don't bring my mother into this, shit-for-brains! She never loved me! She hated me!"

Nick suddenly noticed some movement above the fence line and saw Judy's ears pop up. He quickly texted his location to her and the twenty of the shooter. Just as he was about to text his plan, he heard the chain link fence shift due to Judy's weight, which attracted the coyote's attention to her. He heard the mammal snarl and saw him aim his gun at Judy.

"Judy, get away from the fence!" Nick yelled as he charged the coyote while drawing his tranquilizer gun. The coyote saw him coming and spun to shoot as Nick fired at the same time. Nick suddenly felt like a rhino had hit him. He fell to the ground. As he lay there on the ground clutching his side where the burning pain was, the coyote slinked over and stood over him.

"Looks like you ran out of luck, foxy," said the mammal as he looked at Nick with flint in his eyes while licking his lips as he salivated. "I'm gonna finish you off then do the same to that cute little bunny. Got anything more to say before I kill you?"

"Yeah," Nick gasped as he fought for breath, "one, never turn your back on a police officer's partner and two…don't call her cute," he said as Judy came flying over the fence and caromed off the alley wall to land a roundhouse kick that nearly dislocated the coyote's jaw and rendered him unconscious. Judy immediately cuffed him and placed a muzzle on him while calling for an ambulance for Nick. _Damn, she's good_ , Nick thought, _remind me never to get on her bad side_. The last thing he remembered was Judy rushing to his side as he lost consciousness.

* * *

Nick awoke on top of the ambulance gurney, stripped of the bulletproof vest they were required to wear while on patrol. The bullet had not penetrated the vest as it was supposed to but they didn't teach you in the ZPA how to stop a speeding bullet without getting hurt. Judy was next to him and he could see that she had been crying. When she saw that he was awake, she asked the ambulance which hospital they were taking Nick as they insisted that he be checked for any internal injuries as well. She told the EMTs that she would meet them there, as she had to get their police cruiser. She then turned and walked away without saying another word to him.

At the hospital, she was silent as the attending doctor probed and scanned him. He gave Nick a clean bill of health although he warned that Nick still might be sore around the rib cage area for a few days.

Bogo entered the examining room and asked for a quick report on what had happened.

"Sir, Officer Hopps and I were in pursuit of an alleged thief and we had split up in order to catch him between us. We were not aware that he was carrying a concealed weapon and we only became aware of it the moment he started shooting at me in the alley where he had been cornered. I had alerted Officer Hopps to my position and she was to come from the opposite side. I was unable to alert her of the gun because my radio was damaged when I took cover from the unfriendly fire. I engaged the assailant and was keeping him distracted so that Officer Hopps could apprehend him from the rear. Unfortunately, the perpetrator noticed Officer Hopps climbing the fence and was about to shoot her when I rushed him with my tranq gun drawn. I was hit in the ensuing fire but the bullet did not penetrate the standard issued vest. Officer Hopps was successfully able to apprehend the suspect as he had turned his back on her when he attempted to," Nick closed his eyes and shuddered as he recalled the moment he thought he was a goner, "finish the job on me."

Bogo then turned to Judy. "Is this correct, Hopps?" he asked.

Judy nodded and answered, "I corroborate every word of what Officer Wilde just said."

Bogo grunted. "Good work, Officers. Wilde, I've been shot before like you so I know how you feel. Take the rest of the week off. You, too, Hopps. You look like you both could use some rest. I'll see you both early on Monday and the report on my desk before noon." With that, he turned and left.

Nick and Judy made their way back to their shared apartment without speaking to one another. Judy opened the door for him as he was carrying the vest that saved his life. But the moment she shut the apartment door, he sighed.

Judy looked at him angrily and said, "What's that all about?"

"You haven't said a word to me ever since we left the alleyway." Nick accused her.

"And you know why I haven't? It's because I'm so mad at you right now. I was afraid of saying something in front of the EMTs, the doctor and Bogo that would jeopardize our partnership so I kept quiet."

"And why the hell should you be mad at me? I'm the one who got shot trying to protect you!" Nick yelled angrily.

"Exactly! You shouldn't have to take care of me always. I should also be able to watch out for you. And it was my fault that you got shot! I messed up by alerting him to my position. I should have been the one shot, not you, you dumb fox!" Judy yelled back, this time tears were streaming down her face. "I almost lost you, you selfish moron! And then what would I have done? I wouldn't know how to live without you, you stupid, ignorant, irritating, loveable fox! What then?" as she began to sob uncontrollably.

It then dawned on Nick how much love Judy had for him. He went over to her and gathered her up in his arms and carried her to the couch. They sat there just holding on to one another, tears streaming down both their faces.

Finally, all angst spent, they stared at one another. And something finally clicked. Nick took her face in his paws and leaned in to kiss her on the lips. Judy did not pull back and returned the kiss with a lot of fervor. She reached for his neck and held on to him for dear life, not wanting to let him go. After some time, she broke the kiss and said, "I'm still mad at you, Nick, for scaring me like that. Don't do anything as foolish as that again, okay?"

Nick sighed as he told her, "You can't make me promise that. If I had to do it all over again, I would. I'm scared of losing you as well, Judy."

They stared at each other for several moments before sort of melting into a comfortable position that allowed them to snuggle close and hold on to the other, the terror of all the 'could have-beens' settling on both.

"You know I trust you with my life, Judy," Nick whispered after several minutes of simply sharing contact and warmth. "And I know you trust me with yours. I guess we have to let that trust go further. We have to _believe_ in each other, too."

Judy only nodded before nuzzling her face into the fox's shirt; the fabric clenched in her paws and let the last of her tears out. She'd been completely honest when she said that she didn't know what she would do without him. It wasn't something that she even wanted to contemplate.

"You know I couldn't do without you as well," Nick whispered as he rested the end of his chin between her ears and drank in the naturally sweet scent that was all Judy. "So many years I kept others out and now here you are. You aren't just in my life. You _are_ my life. Everything else is just…filler. And I will do everything I can to keep you in it."

"And what about you?" the bunny asked petulantly. "Don't you think I feel the same way? You're the best friend I've ever had, Nick. That and more. I feel just as strongly about this as you do."

Although it caused pain to flare through his side, the muscles beneath the bruising threatening to spasm in a cramp, Nick choked down the whimper as he physically lifted the bunny onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her. "Then I repeat what I said earlier. Trust we got. Now let's believe in each other. Okay?"

Judy looked up at the warm emerald eyes that regarded her. It was a bit of a shock to realize that Nick no longer tried to keep his walls in place with her. That emotionless mask had become second nature in his old life. However, he always let her _see_ the real him and it melted her heart every time she realized it. Judy's paws slowly crept up to cup either side of the fox's face, her thumbs stroking along the grain of his fur before she drew both of them together for a long, gentle kiss. "Okay," she agreed in a whisper once they parted. "Now, I think that you should take some of the medication the doctor gave you and take a hot shower. I've got dinner this time. I just want you to relax. Alright?"

"Unfair, Carrots. You have me at the disadvantage here."

Judy let one eyebrow rise. "Do I? Why, yes I do. You get some special Hopps treatment for the next couple of days. Oh, and Nick? If you argue with me we'll need to go back to the hospital so they can patch you up for being stupid."

That the ultimatum was delivered so simply, yet in a loving tone made it all the scarier and Nick wisely nodded in surrender. "You drive a hard bargain, Officer Fluff."

"Hmmm! Don't I just?" she asked with as smug a grin as Nick ever gave her. "Now, off with you," she ordered with a tweak to the fox's tail.

Judy waited until she heard the water in the bathroom running and slipped her phone out. She'd learned that her fox was a complete fiend for sushi, something she'd never had until Nick had introduced her to it. Fortunately there was a place not far away that would deliver and she called in for not only two orders of rolls but also other dishes that they both liked. That there were things that she could feed him only added to the little treat that she wanted for her boyfriend.

That thought caused her to stop as she shut off her phone. _Her_ boyfriend. Her _boyfriend_! The realization hit her a couple of times each day and never failed to send a warm thrill of joy through her. With her mood improving, Judy put some of the softer cushions for the couch on the end that her fox sat on and then darted to the movies that they had on a shelf and pulled down a couple that she knew Nick loved. The next few days would be about him and Judy was okay with that. It was only a matter of time, no matter how careful they were in their professional lives, when the roles would be reversed. Then again, Judy recalled, Nick had doted ceaselessly on her as her leg healed from the museum accident when they stopped Dawn Bellwether. It was time to return the favour.

* * *

 _Judy climbed over the fence and that was when she saw the coyote pull the trigger putting a bullet into Nick's head, his brains splattering all over the pavement. She screamed as she saw Nick's lifeless corpse go limp as the coyote turned, his eyes glowing feral red and saliva dripping from his jaws. "Bye-bye foxy. Now, it's your turn, little bunny…run as fast as you can before I catch you in my jaws…hahahahahaha!" the mammal manically laughing as he pointed what looked like a cannon at her. She ran away from the scene as fast as her legs could carry her, her heart shattered at the sight of Nick lying there in death. She didn't know where she was going nor did she care. She just wanted to get away from the monster that had just murdered her partner. The next thing she knew she was falling into a pit. She landed with a thud. For some reason, it looked familiar. Then it came to her. It was the exhibit she and Nick had fallen in when they had tried to escape from Bellwether! She started to panic knowing that she had no way of escaping it without any help. And this time, it was worse as Nick was not beside her. He was instead lying in a pool of his own blood back in the alleyway where she had left his body. She started to wail uncontrollably, the loss of Nick cutting her as if someone had stuck a knife in her. She had been too slow to stop the coyote and then she had run like some rookie scared of her own shadow instead of catching the mammal who had murdered the love of her life._

 _Suddenly, she heard something moving amongst the reeds. "Who's there?" she whispered as her whole body trembled with uncharacteristic fear. Her heart almost stopped as the coyote, now on all fours, slunk out of the tall grass appraising her with his feral eyes. "Well, well. What do we have here?" he said as he licked the saliva dripping from his maw. "Lunch is served!" and with that he leapt for Judy with his fangs bared._

Judy woke up bathed in sweat. _It was just a nightmare,_ she realized with relief as she sat up in bed. _That's the last time I'll have that much saké_ _and sushi this late in the evening,_ she mused. Still, the dream of Nick being dead was fresh in her mind. So she went to his bedroom just to reassure herself that he was very much alive. She snuck in and silently padded over to the side of his bed. He was snoring lightly in his sleep due to the medication she had insisted he take for the pain. He looked so peaceful and innocent. She shook her head, knowing that she was just a wreck right now. _Us bunnies,_ she reflected, _so emotional_. As she made to leave, Nick coughed in his sleep, which elicited a painful groan from the slumbering fox. She recalled from her first aid training that a mammal with rib injuries should hold on to a pillow when coughing to minimize the pain. She deviously smiled.

* * *

Nick slowly woke up the in morning, feeling well rested as he kept his eyes closed. He had slept on his side and felt his arms full of a warm, furry and soft pillow. _Judy must have placed it there when he was asleep,_ Nick warmly thought. Suddenly, he heard his pillow give a soft little snore. He opened his eyes to find Judy in his arms, just like the time they were in the Nap Room. She looked so adorable in her sleep that he didn't have the heart to wake her just yet. So he merely curled his tail around them both, pulled her closer into him, rested his head on top of hers between her ears and closed his eyes once more, allowing Morpheus to visit once again.


	4. The First Date

The First Date

Inspired by the comic, "First Date" by artbirchly in DeviantArt

* * *

A/N: Many thanks again to my two editors, Selaxes and NightWolf0179, for their invaluable help. I have attempted to tie this story to the previous chapter and so far, so good. Check out the works of my editors in FanFiction. I promise you that you won't be disappointed.

All characters are owned by ©Disney except for the OC, Courtney Brushmarke. She is owned by artbirchly. Any resemblance to actual persons or mammals, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

* * *

"Good morning Fluff," were the first words Judy heard the next day. It was Friday morning and she had snuck into Nick's bedroom to check on him when she woke up from her nightmare late last night. Nick had whispered those words to her, as he must have noticed her waking up in his arms.

She didn't immediately respond as she noticed Nick, at one point in their sleep, had drawn her closer to him. She had her back to Nick and she swore she could count each one of his ribs, and something else that was directly pressing against her rear. She thought she'd have a little fun at his expense so she deliberately flicked her tail several times.

This elicited a noise that was a cross between a grunt and a whimper from him. "No fair, Carrots!" complained Nick, "I'm the invalid here."

"Well, if you were a gentlemammal, you wouldn't be attempting anything this early that could lead to a sexual harassment charge, now would you?" she said with a laugh.

"I'm definitely a gentlemammal. Which is why I've been trying to wake you. I really need to pee and I didn't want to do it on top of your cute little bushy tail. Besides, I'm fairly certain golden showers are not your thing," he said with a laugh.

It was only then that she realized that she had Nick's arms locked in her own and he must have been trying to get loose. She belatedly comprehended that she must have been unconsciously fighting him from getting away. "Oh, I'm sorry Nick!" she squeaked apologetically as she let his arms go, blushing both from embarrassment and the overt sexual innuendo. Knowing his ribs would still be sore, she helped him up. Judy even offered to help him in the bathroom – awkward as that may be - but he assured her he was more than capable of going to the bathroom by himself.

Coming back from his ablutions, Nick crawled back into bed and gathered Judy up in his arms again. She snuggled in closer to him, this time facing towards the fox. "Morning, Slick. How's my favourite hero doing today?" she cooed.

"Well aside from almost experiencing a ruptured bladder, I'm peachy keen fine now, especially with my favourite girlfriend in my arms taking care of me," Nick snickered.

Judy punched him in the arm, this time hard enough to elicit a yip of pain from Nick. "Ow! What was that for?"

"That was for the 'golden shower' crack and calling my tail cute. And, the term, 'favourite girlfriend', implies having more than one and I don't share!" Judy eyed him menacingly.

Not wanting more bodily harm, Nick quickly explained. "Yeah, Sorry for that off-colour crack. My mouth outruns my mind at times. I swear I really need my coffee first thing in the morning," Nick said waving his paw about his head. "And I'm not implying that I have other vixens waiting for me on the side. Red foxes are naturally monogamous. You're my one and only girlfriend, even despite the fact that other females find me naturally handsome and desirable. You're the only one I want," Nick said with a laugh as he fended off another swat by Judy. "Hey! Police brutality!" as he captured her paw in his. "Besides, I'll claim entrapment if ever I'm accused of sexual harassment," Nick said with a smirk. "No jury would ever convict me once they caught sight of your perfectly attractive body. They'd know I'd be lying if ever I said I wanted someone else," as he gently snuggled his muzzle into her shoulder.

Judy blushed. She was not used to being complimented on her appealing figure. It's not that she wasn't aware that she had one. She just didn't focus or call attention to it, not like other females. More often than not, she had to fight the urge to knock the offending mammal's head off as they came off as being creeps and perverts. But not when Nick did it. She felt like she was a goddess being adored by an ardent follower. He was not salacious, but instead he made her feel decent and maidenly. She cradled his muzzle in her paw as it found its way to her neck as his tongue lovingly licked her there while one of his paws caressed her ears. She sensually sighed at the attention he was giving her. "Darn you, Nick! That feels so good, what you're doing." Judy looked away hesitantly, some painful memories resurfacing. "But I'm really not that beautiful, am I?"

Nick heard her self-doubt and stopped what he was doing. He gently cradled her face in both his paws and stared deeply into her amethyst eyes. Nick knew Judy worked hard to prove that she just wasn't another typical bunny from the sticks. Her being a female also did not help. Male rabbits naturally gravitated towards her beauty but they only saw her as a vessel to bear their children. She would deliberately dress down so that they would not focus on her physical appearance. But, that had taken its psychological toll on her. She refused to acknowledge even simple compliments. Nick realized that he would need to step up his game in order to show her the beauty that he saw.

"Judy, why do you belittle yourself like that?" Nick asked. "I was a master hustler. Not once was I unable to trick some mammals into practically giving me their money. I rarely, during all my years of hustling, failed to con others – except for a time when I met this one special mammal, a mark that caught me in the act: you. I have never been able to trick you, nor do I want to." The fox took a deep breath and smiled, his eyes finding the gorgeous lavender of Judy's. "You…you make me want to be honest with you all the time. I can't bring myself to deceive you. I'm afraid if I did, you'd leave me. And I'd be lost without you." Nick said genuinely as he pressed his forehead to hers. "So, believe me when I say that your beauty surpasses any female mammal. I only have eyes for you."

Judy's heart did little pitter-patters as Nick spoke. Nick not only had opened himself again to her, he was speaking to her in ways she had not been spoken to before. _So this is what it feels like to be wooed,_ Judy thought as she hid her face in his chest, blinking back tears as she hugged Nick carefully to avoid his injured ribs. "Thanks Nick. You're the best and only boyfriend that I would ever want. You always know how to make me feel better. Now," she said as she wiped away some moistness from her eyes, "I promised you special treatment, which I'm not giving by blubbering about here in bed. Go get dressed, I'll prepare breakfast and we'll spend the day cuddled in front of the television watching those awful movies of yours," Judy smirked.

"Madam, you wound me!" Nick said with mock haughtiness as he held a paw to his chest. "Those are classics! _The 50-Foot Bunny, The Blob, Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead, The Stuff, The Incredible Shrinking Elephant, It Came From Beneath the Sea_ just to name a few. They are so bad that they have become cult classics! Any good cinemaphile would know this."

"Yeah, yeah, one mammal's poison…I swear Nick, you are such a drama queen," Judy laughed as she mockingly attempted to smother him with a pillow.

"Help! I'm being attacked by a very gorgeous bunny of extremely sexy proportions!" Nick playfully yelled. "It's the vampire temptress from BunnyBurrow and only she wants me for my body. Oh, woe is me!" as he dramatically held his forearm to his brow.

Judy hit him with the pillow and laughed, as Nick played 'dead'. "Oh dear, I broke my fox! What should I do? Oh, I know, I'll feed him a raw carrot. They say it has magical properties."

Nick looked at her with disgust. "For rabbits, maybe, not for foxes. The only time I'll have carrots are if they're in a cake or soup. You're lucky I can't move that fast, Fluff, or else you'd be in a tickle pile by now for that despicable threat to my life." Nick teased.

Judy continued laughing. Nick always knew how to lift her spirits. "Aww…but you know you love me, right?" as she waggled her eyebrows at Nick.

"Do I know that? Yes, yes I do." Nick smiled as he captured her for a kiss.

* * *

After breakfast, Judy made Nick sit on the couch while she made sure all his needs were attended to. She fluffed up the pillows for him and started the movies. She also made Nick take the doctor's prescribed medication to offset the pain in his ribs. Nick did as she commanded, as he wanted to feel better in time for their date tomorrow. And even though it made him feel sleepy, he had a plan. Unbeknownst to Judy, he had discreetly texted one of her friends behind her back as they sat on the couch watching one of the movies.

Midway through the first movie, the medication started to kick in and Nick stifled a yawn. Judy looked up at him from her position on the couch where she had been laying beside him. "Do you want to get some rest, Nick?" she asked with concern.

"It's just the meds, Judy, but yeah…that sounds like a good idea." He took a second to yawn. "Oh, and while I'm napping, I set you up with a shopping date with Fru Fru in an hour," he announced.

"Oh, but I promised I'd take care of you today," Judy said with worry although the idea of shopping with Fru Fru wasn't terrible.

"I'll be fine, Officer Hopps." Nick reassured her. "I asked Fru Fru for her help as none of your sisters are in town and I suspect you'll need some female companionship in order to help you pick out a dress for our date tomorrow night," Nick mentioned as he grinned. "Knowing you and the wardrobe choices I've seen you wear this last year, you don't have much of an ensemble for the place I plan to take you to."

Judy was dumbstruck that Nick had even noticed her clothes. It made her feel all the more special. "But what about you?" she asked. "All I've seen you wear are those gaudy Hawaiian shirts and brown slacks."

Nick grinned. "You forget I was in the employ of Mr. Big who required his employees to be well-dressed for all occasions. I still have several of the suits from when I used to work as Grandmama's handler."

"You mean the same Grandmama that got wrapped in a skunk's butt rug that you sold to Mr. Big?" she teased.

Nick sighed. "In my defense, all I can say is that I got hustled…pretty good and almost paid for it with my life if not for you."

"Well, I'm sure Mr. Big saw that you were sorry for what you did. Plus, he probably had inkling that if he did have you 'iced', I would have been very hurt. Although sometimes I wonder if it was worth it after all the times that you've been an insufferable idiot," Judy grinned. "Anyway, I'm glad, though, that you decided to join the ZPD and become my partner, Nick."

"Me too, Fluff, me too," agreed Nick as he kissed her nose.

* * *

Fru Fru arrived in her limousine in front of the apartment. "Judeee!" the little shrew squealed, "It's been a long time! How have you been dahlin'?"

Judy climbed into the limousine and bent down to give the shrew a quick peck on each cheek and a hug. "It's been too long, Fru Fru. I've been busy ever since that photo of Nick and I sleeping in each other's arms got posted online. But it's led to good things as well. Nick and I realized that we really care for each other and now we're living together in his apartment. Separate bedrooms, of course," she rushed to add lest she gave the little mammal the wrong impression.

Fru Fru laughed. "Oh, Judy! Don't worry," she said as she wiped a tear from her eye. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you. And ever since I've known Nick, he's always been a perfect gentlemammal. I'm glad that the two of you are now dating."

"That's the other thing. Nick and I will be going on our first official date tomorrow and I really don't have anything nice to wear. I'm glad Nick got hold of you. You're the best when it comes to choosing fashionable clothes."

"Judy, Judy, Judy," chided Fru Fru, "you have nothing to worry about. You're in good paws with me. By the way, did you catch the latest photo spread from _Snorts Illustrated_?" she asked mysteriously.

Judy shook her head. She knew the magazine included news and discussion about various sports issues. It would also publish once a year a photo spread of female mammals in various stages of undress or skimpy attire. She considered this demeaning to hard-working females like herself. And she just didn't see the need to spend good hard earned cash on something that wasn't relevant to her.

Fru Fru grinned mischievously. "Well, I just happen to have the earliest edition of it. And, guess who's on the front cover?" she smirked.

Judy looked in horror at the photo of her running after a perpetrator but it was clear that the focus was prominently on her rear end and fluffy tail. The headline read: _Bun(s) of Steel!_ She grabbed the glossy magazine and opened it to photo after photo of her derriere being ogled by the camera. The neoprene material of the uniform that she wore allowed her comfort and ease of movement. Unfortunately, it also had the effect of tightly hugging her haunches to the point that left little to the imagination when stretched to its maximum. The article pretended to have a story about how her training regimen prepared her for her job, which must have come from the ZPD files. It chose however to quote an unnamed source from within the ZPD that said _Judy is very competitive and focuses her training on her lower extremities in order to outrun even the other Cheetah officers._ Unnamed source, indeed! She would get Clawhauser for that comment.

The photographer had also managed to follow her everywhere, even when she had gone for her morning runs. She gasped at one particular set of photos. "I didn't realize that my _MooMoo Lemon_ pants were see-through!" squeaked Judy in dismay. "Kill me now," she groaned in embarrassment. "I'll never live it down at the ZPD. No one will ever take me seriously from now on," she bewailed.

"Don't worry about it Judy," Fru Fru said as she tried to cheer her up, "it'll only be for a while until they come out with their Swimsuit Edition. Besides, I'm sure that Nick appreciates the view," she snickered. "But you may want to get rid of that outfit. There's an ongoing recall for that particular brand of yoga pants."

Judy giggled. She knew Nick like to ogle her behind when he thought she wasn't looking. She had caught him many times but had never brought it up so as not to cause any friction between them. She also had seen him on several occasions attempt to grab her fluffy tail but had held back by sheer willpower. She laughed at this knowing he had a particular weakness for all things fluffy. "Oh, dear. You're right Fru Fru. He's been eyeing me for some time now but I haven't let it affect our professional partnership in any way. Now that we're dating, maybe I can use it against him," she chuckled. Fru Fru snorted in laughter as well.

At Groomingdales Department store, Fru Fru found a cute pink halter neck dress that would show off Judy's toned arms and bare back while the skirt tapered to a modest length midway between her knees and thighs. This also had the effect of showing off Judy's curvaceous legs. The dress also hugged her behind, highlighting Judy's tail and firm rear, which she hoped would drive Nick crazy. The halter exposed part of her cleavage just enough to look sexy and not indecent. She made Judy buy the matching jacket that went with the outfit. When worn together, it looked like she was wearing a business suit.

Fru Fru then brought Judy to Zootopia's Secret Lingerie Store in order to purchase several pieces of lacy underwear that would prevent panty lines from showing. Judy snickered as she could almost imagine Nick's face once he saw her in this outfit. Although a little bit more daring than what she would normally wear, she wanted to show herself off for him now that she knew she had the figure for it.

They had spent a good part of the day going shopping for other dresses as well. Judy wanted to return back to the apartment, as she wanted to make sure that Nick was getting enough rest. Fru Fru dropped her off but made her promise that they both would come by soon to see Judy's goddaughter.

When Judy entered the apartment, she found Nick still asleep on the couch. She hurriedly hid her shopping bags in her bedroom wanting to surprise Nick for their date. She then went back to see if Nick had stirred. Seeing that he hadn't, she stepped into the kitchen to make some dinner knowing that Nick would be hungry since he had slept for most of the day.

* * *

On Saturday, she awoke to find that Nick had departed very early and had left her a text message saying he would be back at six to pick her up for their date. Although she found it rather unusual, she took the opportunity to clean up the apartment and get herself ready for tonight's date. After doing some much needed dusting and vacuuming, she decided to treat herself to a nice luxurious soak in the bathtub before getting dressed.

Judy normally did not wear any make up and sparingly used some highlighter for her cheeks and eyelids. She emerged from her bedroom at five minutes to six looking for Nick. He wasn't in his bedroom nor was he anywhere else in the apartment. She was about to text him when the doorbell rang. She hurried to the front door wondering if it was Nick and why he would even bother to ring when he had the key.

She opened the door and almost swooned at the sight of Nick holding a small bouquet while dressed in a formal black suit and matching tie. He had foregone wearing one of his loud Hawaiian shirts and instead wore a very light green long sleeved dress shirt that brought out the emerald of his mesmerizing eyes. She saw that he had taken a lot of pains to brush his fur and had even applied a light oil to make it glisten. He had not used a scent blocker and she could smell the enjoyably masculine musky scent of Nick as it came off him.

Nick, on the other hand, couldn't believe how beautiful Judy looked in her outfit and was left temporarily speechless as he viewed the lovely vision before him. Judy giggled at the sight of the vulpine just standing in the doorway with his mouth wide open. This brought Nick out of his Judy-induced trance and immediately put on his signature smirk while addressing her in a fake Southern accent, "Why, Officer Hopps, I do declah'…such a lovely belle as yourself is definitely a sight fo' soh' ayes!"

Judy laughed and said, "Thanks Nick. Do you really like my outfit?" she asked as she twirled around so that he could get the full view of it.

"More than I want to admit. No other mammal can make a dress look that good. I really must thank Fru Fru on her choice of clothes for you. You look absolutely stunning in that outfit," Nick assured her.

Judy laughed and said grinning, "Oh, are those flowers for me?"

Nick had spent the better part of the day contacting friends and relatives of Judy. He didn't know what her favourite flower was and he had no desire to speak to her parents, so he managed to track down Gideon Grey, the other fox in her life, who might have an idea. Gideon didn't but he was able to put him in touch with Judy's sisters who advised that she liked clover blossoms and lupines. So he had gone to see Mr. and Mrs. Otterton, who were overjoyed that the two of them were seeing each other. They were familiar with the rabbit tradition of bringing flowers on a date so they gladly prepared one for him without charging him for it. He had brought it hoping to surprise her with it but it seems that she had been the one full of surprises. He had forgotten that he had it in his paws till she pointed it out and he sheepishly offered it to her.

"Yeah, I was told that you like this particular variety," he smirked. Judy was amazed that he had taken the time to find out about what her favourite flowers were. _He really is serious about wooing me,_ Judy thought. She took one long whiff of the bouquet he had handed her, then took a large bite out of it. Nick was amazed at how ferociously she devoured it. He was glad that he had found out what her favourite snack was.

"Thanks Nick! That was delicious! Let me get my phone and we can start on our date," she eagerly said as she finished the bouquet.

Nick locked up the apartment and held his elbow out to Judy so that she could hook her arm through it. She happily did so and they made their way to his car. He opened the passenger side door to let her climb in and then swiftly got in the driver's side once he saw that she had buckled up.

Nick was in seventh heaven with Judy beside him. He never imagined a year ago that he would be dating a very beautiful bunny. Judy was determined, brave, smart and fiercely loyal to her friends as well. They had become best friends when they had met during the Missing Mammal case. Despite the initial hiccup, after Judy's disastrous news interview, they had made up and had become even closer after solving the Night Howler case. She had inspired him to believe in himself and thus joined the elite group of police officer in Precinct One after much hard and backbreaking work at the ZPA.

Judy was just as thrilled as Nick as they drove to the restaurant that he was taking her to. She couldn't remember when she last felt this happy. She knew they were about to explore some uncharted territory being in a predator/prey relationship but then she was never one to shy away from a challenge. And Nick was so worth it. At first, she had found him to be insufferable, conniving and sneaky but as they worked together on their very first case, not only had Nick defended her dream of becoming the very first rabbit officer against Bogo no less, but he had shown her his vulnerable side and she had come to love the warm caring mammal that was underneath all the bluster.

They arrived at the Palm Hotel and Casino located in the Sahara Square District. As she and Nick entered the swanky restaurant, Nick slipped the gazelle waitress a five-buck Zootopian bill so that they wouldn't have to wait to be seated. She led them to a small table secluded in a corner of the restaurant. She lit the candle centerpiece, delivered their drink orders and left them after taking their food orders. Judy turned to Nick and seductively said, "Nick? It's a bit warm here. Could you help me take off my jacket, hmmm?" as she coyly looked at him. Nick wondered where this was going but he was willing to play along. As he removed her jacket, he audibly caught his breath. The dress was stunning as it displayed her bare back to him along with her perky little fluffy tail. As far as he could see, it looked like the dress had been painted on her beautifully sculpted and well-toned body. The overall effect left him giddy. "So, do you like what you see?" she seductively asked.

Nick could hardly speak. When they were together on patrol, he had stolen glances at her perky rear from time to time while she was in uniform. He had always marveled at its beauty. But her dress not only accentuated her fluffy tail and her firm rear, it practically smote him in the face with its desirability! "No fair, Carrots!" he groaned. "You can't play on my weaknesses on our first date!" Judy laughed at his discomfort.

Unbeknownst to either of them, their table was situated next to Courtney Brushmarke's. Courtney was an up and coming snooty socialite skunk from a very wealthy family. The Bushmarkes had made their money in the scents industry and had developed the well-known odour blocker brand, _NonScents_. She was there at the restaurant to meet with her weasel publicist. She was quite upset because she had slipped from the public's eye when the news of the first bunny and fox police officers being a couple came out. She was there to talk strategy with him when to her surprise and disgust, the pair who was the reason for her unhappiness came walking through the door of the restaurant. _They even have the gall to take the table next to me!_ Courtney thought as she nursed her ridiculously expensive _Belver Bears_ vodka drink. She felt unclean just being near them. She decided to wait for her publicist so that she could create a scene that he could then use to drum up publicity. And, as much as she hated to admit it, she was jealous of Judy's perfectly toned little butt that had been the subject of a photo spread in _Snorts Illustrated_. The photographer had focused on that particular portion of her anatomy especially when Judy had been seen chasing down criminals. _It was so unfair!_ Courtney thought. She worked hard to shape and sculpt her own cute little derriere and _she_ was supposed to have been featured in that article. _Why, I even posed in the nude for that photographer!_ she recalled angrily. As she spotted her publicist walking to her table, she continued to sip on her drink as she listened in on Nick and Judy's conversation.

"Carrots, you seem troubled. I don't understand what's got Miss 'Try Everything' so worried?" said Nick. "Are you still upset over the stares and criticism we've been receiving?"

"Well, it's true not everyone is in favour of our relationship. Why, even my parents are hesitant about us. Plus, since I'm a bunny, I'm perceived by the general public to be unable to handle myself against bigger animals especially predators. I'm not worried about that though, Nick," said Judy confidently, "as I've been able to prove to our colleagues that I'm more than capable of taking care of myself. And although you act all carefree, suave and sophisticated, I know deep down in you is a warm, gentle, loving mammal. I've really got the best of both worlds. Not only are we partners in the ZPD but best friends, too. So, our dating in public is actually a big step cause we're saying to the other mammals, _we may be a predator and prey couple but we're here to stay and it's real_. I just want to know if you feel the same way as I do. You understand that don't you?" Judy asked hesitantly as she reached for Nick's paw across the table.

Nick took her paw in his and gazed lovingly into her amethyst eyes. "Of course I do. Judy, I'm not going to let anything come between us. Not if this is what you want. I'm in this for the long haul," Nick confessed.

"What I want? Listen here you charming rascal," Judy said grinning with relief after hearing Nick's affirmation, "there is nothing I want more than for us to be together! I like what we had but I also like where we're going as a couple. And you had better be prepared for that," she chuckled.

As the overweight and balding weasel wheezily joined her at the table, she deliberately said in a loud whisper, "Check out the freaks in love."

Judy and Nick turned angrily towards Courtney's table; astounded that someone had been deliberately eavesdropping in on their private conversation. Courtney's publicist, embarrassed by the scene the snooty little doe was causing, said in hushed tones, "I think they heard you."

Nick normally would not have reacted but the skunk had overstepped the bounds of propriety. Since most mammals had excellent hearing, it normally would be impossible to hold a private conversation. Social decorum therefore dictated that you didn't listen in on other mammals' conversations when in a public area. He was the first to recover and growled, "If you don't mind, this was a private conversation and we would be happy if you kept your speciesist remarks to yourself. And, Ms. Brushmarke? We were too polite to mention it but we can 'hear' your 'perfume' from here!" emphasizing with air quotes. "You should get a refund from your daddy's company considering you're obviously using a defective product," he growled. He normally wouldn't allow something like the female skunk's taunt to affect him but he was very protective of Judy and she did not deserve to be treated like that.

Judy, on the other paw, finally had enough. She had managed to keep her composure despite all the hateful comments and spiteful remarks that she had heard over the week about their being a couple. Most of them had been directed against Nick, simply for his being a fox. So, she decided to show them that she meant business. Judy angrily glared at Courtney, grabbed her half-full glass and swallowed all of her carrot wine in one gulp.

"Now, if you don't mind shutting…" said Nick as he continued to chastise the occupants of the other table. He stopped as he saw Judy swig down all of her wine in one gulp. _That's not good_ , he thought. He was surprised when Judy stood up on the table, walked over to him, took hold of his tie, gently pulled him towards her and lovingly kissed him on his mouth. Nick didn't stop her, as she slipped her tongue into his open mouth, tasting traces of the carrot wine on it. Time stood still for Nick, as he did not want to get off that beautiful ride.

When Judy finally broke the kiss, she had to hold Nick up as he was still in a daze and it seemed he could fall over at any moment. She cradled his head in her arms, turned to Courtney and yelled at her, "You got a problem with any of this?!"

"Nope," a happily stunned Nick muttered to any one in particular, his brain feeling like it had turned to Jell-O.

Courtney never backed down either, even if she was in the wrong. "Yeah, I do. Deviants like yourselves should never be allowed to be together. Why, it's unnatural! It oughta be against the law!" she taunted as she took a swig of her own drink. "And with a dirty fox, no less! His kind should be collared! For crying out loud, they're sneaks and thieves, you blind, ignorant bunny!" Courtney said angrily as she poured herself another shot of vodka from the bottle on the table.

"Come on Nick! Let's get out of here," Judy angrily said as she hopped off the table and unwittingly knocked over the lighted candle. She grabbed his paw leading him out of the restaurant, "Before I arrest myself for assaulting another mammal."

"Uhhh…where are we going, Judy?" Nick asked as he sensed her irritation. "Back to our place," said Judy, "I've lost my appetite as some mammals don't know a good thing when they see it. And she doesn't deserve your company!" Judy said as she glared at Courtney. "You don't deserve to be treated like trash, not when you sacrifice and lay down your life everyday just so that she can stay safe!" With that pronouncement, she stomped off with Nick in tow.

Courtney, not sure of what had just happened, snickered to her publicist, "Well, at least we don't have to leave the restaurant. Their presence was definitely unwelcome," she cattily remarked.

The weasel surprised her by whispering back, "Sorry about this doll-face but you made a grievous error when you fought with them in public." He then drew himself up to his full three feet of height and said crossly in a loud voice, "Those were the heroes of Zootopia who deserve our respect for what they did and for laying their lives on the line daily for us. Your views and actions run counter to my values and I cannot work for a speciesist. Call me when you grow up. In the meantime, I am terminating our contract. You will receive a final bill from my office. Good day, Ms. Brushmarke!" With that, he turned on his heel and walked out of the restaurant, muzzle in the air.

Courtney was livid. "Why you dirty little weasel! How dare you turn on me! I'll make sure you never work in this town again!" shaking her closed paw at his back. "And what are you looking at?" yelled Courtney angrily as she glared at the other customers in the restaurant who were staring at her.

The other restaurant patrons, who had overheard the heated exchange between Courtney and Judy, also decided to file out as well while giving Courtney dirty looks, leaving a very angry Courtney behind, bewildered by the sudden turn of events.

"You should be ashamed of yourself!" chided a matronly beaver. "Such a lovey young couple as those two did not deserve being treated like that."

"Oh, yeah? Who are you to tell me what I can or can't do? I'm fucking Courtney Brushmarke and I'll do whatever I please!" said Courtney haughtily as she downed her drink while reaching for the bottle.

They left her nursing her pride and a very large bottle of vodka.

* * *

Back in their apartment, after having ordered pizza and changed out of their formal clothes, both Nick and Judy were lovingly running their digits through one another's fur, exploring their physical differences as they made out on the couch. "Hmmm…I'm sorry for causing a scene, Nick," Judy said as they temporarily broke apart, "but you didn't deserve being put down by that inconsiderate mammal."

Nick's heart swelled with love for Judy, as she would always stand up and defend him against any detractor for even the slightest provocation. "Judy, all my life, no one has ever stood up for me. Foxes have always been seen as shifty lowlifes. Don't ever apologize for being yourself. That's one of the things about you that I adore." Nick said as he caressed her cheek. "Besides, as first dates go, that wasn't too bad. At least I got to go out and showed the world what a beautiful bunny I have as my girlfriend," he said proudly.

Judy blushed, not being used to such accolades. "And how can anyone resist such a charming, roguish, silver-tongued fox that I have as a boyfriend?" she cooed. "That skunk should have been grateful that…wait! Isn't that her on the news?" Judy exclaimed, spotting the photo of the speciesist skunk on the television.

Nick had left the television on mute and Judy reached for the remote to turn up the volume.

"… _and we are here, live, at the Palm Hotel and Casino, where the ZFD has just arrested well-known socialite, Courtney Brushmarke, for arson. The hotel video cameras have placed her as the sole mammal seen leaving the scene of the restaurant immediately before the fire broke out. Witnesses allege that she may have started the fire in retaliation for the public snub she received from Zootopia's latest darlings, the Dynamic Duo of Officers Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde. They were seen walking out on her after she allegedly insulted them with speciesist remarks while at the restaurant."_

The camera panned out to zoom in on an apparently inebriated Courtney as she is seen being led away in handcuffs struggling to escape from the hoofs of the two elephants from the Zootopia Fire Department as they escorted her into the back of their vehicle. The camera recorded her vehemently slurred protests, " _But it wash that shtupid dumb bunny I tell you! She shtarted the fire not me! She and that no-good dirty fox! All I did wash pour my drink on the fire to put it out! I tell you I'm being framed! Let me go!"_ she screamed.

Nick and Judy looked at each other in shock. "Oh, sweet cheese and crackers…" Judy whispered.


	5. The Hostage

The Hostage  
Inspired by the comic, "Kidnapped" created Tani 

A/N: I'd like to thank again my two editors, Selaxes and NightWolf0179 for their help with the story. Like I mentioned to them, this story seemed to have a life of its own and quickly wrote itself. If it were a sentient being, we'd all be in trouble.

I found the comic in Pinterest and have posted a copy of it in my site at Deviant Art. Unfortunately, I have no way of doing so on FanFiction or AO3. The original artist was Tani and it was translated into English by sunny4u. Recently, ZNN released an updated translation of the comic on their website. The link is zootopianewsnetwork dot com slash 2017 slash 03 slash comic-kidnapped-original-by-tani dot html#more. I can only say that I'm not a fan of their translation as Nick describes Judy as a moron rabbit, bothersome bunny and a load to bear. Having vented, I now bring forth the usual disclaimers:

All characters are owned by ©Disney except for the OC, Courtney Brushmarke. She is owned by artbirchly of Deviant Art. Any resemblance to actual persons or mammals, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

* * *

Nick happily hummed a merry little tune as he walked towards the apartment that he and Judy now shared. It had been several weeks after the "Brushmarke Incident" and Internal Affairs, along with the Zootopia Fire Department and the Mayor's Office, had recently concluded their confidential investigation of the fire that had occurred at the restaurant of the Palm Hotel and Casino.

The results of the investigation had determined that no party was directly at fault. Except for the unwise actions of one skunk, Courtney Brushmarke, who had mistakenly poured, in her drunken panic, her _Belver Bears Intense_ 100 proof vodka on the fire. The fire that Judy had inadvertently started when she had accidentally knocked down the lighted candle on their table when Nick and Judy were having their first date. Of course, all parties involved recognized that Judy would not have knocked down the candle in the first place had it not been for the speciesist remarks uttered by said skunk.

All things considered, had Judy not intervened, no one would have been the wiser and the skunk would have gotten her comeuppance. However, Judy's sense of justice would not allow any mammal, no matter how speciesist they were, to be charged for a crime they did not commit. So, she had gone to Bogo to 'fess up for accidentally starting the fire. Bogo had not been happy to hear her confess to the 'crime' but he was obliged to launch an investigation with the assistance of the ZFD. The Mayor's Office had become involved since their poster couple for the Mammal Inclusion Initiative could be embarrassingly comprised if they were found to be at fault plus the Brushmarkes had been hefty donors to the Mayor's last re-election campaign.

Nick had participated in the discussions between the three departments because he felt Judy shouldn't take the blame for anything. At the hearing and after much haggling, the DA had agreed to drop the arson charge if Courtney did community service and attended a sensitivity seminar. The Brushmarkes anger had been mollified when Bogo agreed to levy administrative charges against Nick and Judy for failing to deescalate the situation properly and for conduct unbecoming ZPD officers. Nick further agreed to this only if Judy would be assigned a week of parking duty as punishment while he would take a week's suspension. He argued that the MII campaign would be hurt if Judy were seen as a lawbreaker. He, on the other hand, would be seen as a natural scapegoat and he didn't mind as long as Judy was protected. Bogo happily took this offer, as he would not have to suffer Nick's smart-alecky wisecracks for at least week. Judy was very angry that only Nick was to be suspended but he had managed to convince her in the end that it was better for all parties.

Though, Nick would have been lying if he said he did not have another reason for why he took all the blame. The fox had a surprise and he needed time to prepare. It also gave him time to reflect on all that he and Judy had gone through and where they stood in their relationship. He definitely was a very lucky mammal, Nick believed, for someone like Judy to even consider him as a partner. He, even after having spent almost half of his life conning other mammals out of their hard-earned cash, had somehow managed to turn his life around and was now a respected and decorated officer of the ZPD. All because one very beautiful and determined bunny had decided that he was worth believing in.

He had fallen for her – hard - when she had saved his life from the deranged panther over a year ago. And when Bogo had attempted to bully her into resigning, he had come to her defense in order to buy her more time. He had no idea at the time whether it would have worked or not, but fortune had seemed to smile on them. They had successfully cracked the Missing Mammals case, even despite the many handicaps Judy had faced, with the help of her pluck and determination. Then came the ill-fated news conference where she had unwittingly shown her own speciesist background. Nick had been hurt and had foolishly thrown away the friendship she had proffered all because of pride. That had been three months of seemingly endless agony.

During that time, Nick was a different fox. He found himself needing his solitude under a small bridge, needing to be alone, far more often than what was considered healthy. The dread he felt ate at his very core, and he spent every single second of his time waiting and hoping for Judy to come back to him. And when she had, his heart filled with song again.

With Judy by his side, he was inspired and motivated to follow in her pawsteps on the long road to the elite Precinct One. She wanted him to be his partner, after all, and that was an offer he couldn't refuse, even though the process itself was bound to be a grueling experience.

That had been more than a year ago. He had struggled during that period, gathering up courage to speak to her about his love for her. And each time, he had lost nerve. Now, after working together for almost half-a-year, the fates had interceded again and they had become more than just professional partners. They had professed their love for one another and she had moved in with him. Life couldn't be sweeter…or could it? Nick knew he wanted more than what they had and he was sure Judy did too but he did not want to force anything. And yet…the specter of those three months continued to haunt him. So he had made a decision. Which was why, in the middle of the week, he had the object he so very needed in his pocket and was happily whistling away his cares as he made his way back. But the fates are fickle mistresses as he was soon to learn when he received an urgent call from Clawhauser to report to Precinct One's Situation Room immediately.

As Nick, entered the Situation Room, he saw Chief Bogo, Delgato, Fangmeyer, Grizzoli, Wolford, Snarlov along with McHorn huddled around the city map. He heard the chatter of the exchanges amongst the various units and saw the board where numerous scenarios were laid out. "Hey Chief!" Nick greeted Bogo, "couldn't wait to see my handsome face that you had to call me back in the middle of my suspension?" he smirked. The Cape Buffalo stood silent. None of the others in the room were smiling. _That's not a good sign if I can't get a rise out of the Chief_ , Nick thought.

"Wilde! We called you in because we have a hostage situation. A mentally unstable hyena has holed himself up in a construction site and has an IED strapped to his body. He is threatening to blow himself up and the hostage unless we meet his demands," said Fangmeyer, as she directed his attention to the live feed from the scene.

Nick wondered why he was being asked to come in considering there were more senior officers present. "What are the demands and who is the hostage, Chief?" as he started to put on the spare uniform that he had kept in his ZPD locker.

Bogo began to read off a piece of paper he was holding. "The demands are: _I am perpetually being discriminated upon and life is not worth living as predators cannot keep a job simply because we are feared. I will make the world pay by blowing it to hell!_ "

"The hostage," Bogo continued, "is Officer Hopps. She was on parking duty when she came upon the hyena threatening several bystanders. She managed to get the others to safety by offering herself as a hostage. We have the site surrounded but we need to plan our strategy in order to make sure no one else gets hurt."

Nick went cold. His partner on the force and in life was in dire danger. He knew now why Bogo had called him in despite being suspended. They needed his hustling skills in order to make sure the situation didn't get out of hand and to keep Judy alive. If the hyena was as desperate as he sounded, one could never tell what could set him off. _That dumb beautiful bunny, always rushing in to sacrifice herself for others,_ Nick thought. _I'll never forgive myself if something were to happen to her._

Fangmeyer moved to the center of the room, pointing to the map with her paw, "We need to get a bullhorn out there so we can negotiate with him," she said. "He's inside the building so we'll need to draw him to a window where a sniper can…"

"No!" interjected Nick. "Sniping is not an option! Ever since the Nighthowler Case, predators and prey have been at each other's throats. Judy and I have been able to bring some semblance of calm to the hysteria because of our relationship. However, shooting the hyena will only stir up more unrest."

Bogo added, "We can't raid the place because of Hopps and the threat of an explosion. By our calculations, he has enough explosive on him to level the place."

Nick continued, "Also," as he pointed towards his other colleagues, "you larger mammals can't negotiate with him. You're part of the problem."

"Why is that, Nick?" Fangmeyer asked curiously.

"You'll be feeding his inferiority complex seeing as how you're bigger than him. That might set him off. He's not intimidated by a smaller species like a rabbit or myself. I'm going in alone to speak with him."

Turning to Delgato, Nick asked, "Hey, Del, you still have some smokes on you?"

"Sure Nick," the lion replied. "I never knew you were a smoker, though," as he passed Nick a stick.

Nick shrugged. "I was but quit because of Judy. Hell of a time to quit though. I'm sure she'll forgive me seeing as how stressful this situation can turn out to be," he said as he placed the stick in his mouth.

* * *

Nick stood outside the abandoned construction site where the TUSK Force had the area cordoned off. The general public and media had been moved to a safe distance three blocks away in case the explosives went off. Nick put on the standard issue bulletproof vest mindful of how it had once saved his life.

As he stood there, planning how he would have to negotiate, Bogo came up to him.

"Wilde! The suspect is mentally unstable. We don't know what may set him off so preaching to him will be useless."

"If that's the case, Chief," Nick said, "we may have no choice but to use force. Have a TUSK team on standby to move in on my signal in case things go south. Oh, can you hold on to this for me, by the way?" Nick asked Bogo as he passed him the small box he had had in his pants pocket.

Bogo looked at him skeptically as he held the box in his hoof. "Is this what I think it is?"

Nick shrugged. "I picked it up this morning planning to surprise her with it when we were to go visit her parents this weekend in Bunnyburrows. In case I don't make it, please give it to Judy," Nick spoke as he looked the Cape Buffalo in the eye.

"And what if both of you don't make it out alive?" queried Bogo.

Nick's shoulders sagged at the thought. He then straightened them and looked defiantly at Bogo squarely in the eye. "That would mean a lot of paperwork for us so I'm going to make sure that's not going to happen. But if it does, give it to her parents. I'm sure Judy would want that." As he turned to face the building, he said, "Wish me luck Chief. I've got a bunny to rescue," as he straightened his tie. With that, Nick lit the cigarette in his mouth, tossed the match aside into an ash receptacle, tightened the bulletproof vest and started walking towards where the love of his life needed his hustling skills like never before.

* * *

Judy ached all over. She had been powerless to stop the hyena from pounding her like a rag doll as he had threatened to blow himself up if she even retaliated. After he had tied her hands in front of her, she had helplessly taken hit after hit from the perpetrator's vicious assault. She hacked up a bit of blood and spat it out on the floor, tasting its metallic tang. _Sweet cheese and crackers! Not a good sign. Could have some internal bleeding there,_ she thought to herself. She slowly willed her aching body to a sitting position and with her back literally to the wall, she observed her captor and tormentor through a half-closed eye swelling up from the beating.

He was a spotted hyena, the largest of his kind. From what she had gathered from his crazed ramblings was that he had been kicked out of his clan mainly because of his foul temper. He had been unable to keep a steady job ever since. His last job had been at this very construction site where he had been let go by the llama supervisor for challenging the smaller prey mammals to fights for perceived speciesist slights.

He had his back to her as he glanced outside, checking on the movements of the ZPD. "Man, those cops sure know how to make a racket. Lucky for me I have a hostage so they don't dare come in the front door." He turned back to face her and saw her glaring at him. He growled, strode over to where she sat and grabbed Judy painfully by her ears. Judy gasped in pain but didn't say a word, which infuriated him further. "You brought this on yourself, dumb bunny. Did you think a single bunny could easily overpower a large predator like myself?"

Judy stayed silent but privately she thought, _if you weren't wearing that bomb vest, yeah, I could. You're lucky I can't do anything right now or else you'd be singing for the Zootopian Tabernacle Choir as their guest soprano. No one touches my ears!,_ she seethed.

Suddenly, an announcement came from outside. _Attention! This is the ZPD! We're sending in our negotiator. Tell him your demands._

Nick walked into the room, the lit cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth, paws in pockets.

"Hold it right there copper! Keep your paws where I can see them. Don't come any closer. Also," as he waived the gun in Judy's face, "take the damn vest off or else the bunny gets it."

Nick slowly brought his paws out of his pockets, stripped the vest off and tossed it outside behind him. "Is this okay?" he asked.

The hyena merely smirked. "Boy, they really underestimated me. First a bunny, now a fox."

Judy's heart began to race. She hadn't expected Nick to be the negotiator and now she was scared for him. She had been prepared to die today. But not if Nick was in the same room as this crazed hyena with the explosives. _And what was with the cigarette? He never smoked before._

Nick coolly looked at the hyena. Inwardly, he was incensed when he caught sight of Judy being held in the hyena's grasp by her ears. His rage took on greater proportions as he noticed the bloody trail from the entrance of the doorway leading to the wall where Judy obviously had been leaning. _Considering the beating she's taken, she's definitely one tough bunny if she's still conscious. Stay calm and focus! You can ask for some 'private' time later with him if you get out of this alive. She's probably pissed right now since no one touches her ears! Except for me maybe,_ as he inwardly chuckled.

Taking the cigarette out of his mouth, he announced, "Nicholas Wilde of Precinct One. I'm here simply to talk with you. Tell me what it is you want. What are your demands?"

"I'm simply disgusted by this godforsaken world where it's impossible to get a job simply because I'm a hyena," ranted the male captor, as he waived the gun around for emphasis. "I will end this world and I'm going to start with her!" as he pointed the gun at Judy's chest.

Nick could smell Judy's fear from where he stood and as he gazed at her, his heart was breaking for the pain she must be going through. Her left eye was fully shut due to swelling and he could see that she was having some difficulty seeing out of the right. He hoped that there wouldn't be any permanent damage. He observed that she hung limply in the hyena's grasp. _That's not good. She's taken one hit too many if she can't move at all._ He knew he had to bring this situation quickly to a halt as he could also hear Judy's ragged breathing, which meant she needed medical attention as soon as possible.

Nick maintained a nonchalant air as he took the cigarette from his mouth and waived it about. "You've got a point. Trust me. I've been there. However, I wouldn't do something this stupid, if I were you. There are other ways to air your grievances."

"Ha!" barked the hyena, "The fox is trying to teach me! Why, I never thought I'd live to see the day that would happen! For a low-life fox such as yourself, ragged clothes suit you better than that police uniform!" he rudely said. "I'm guessing that you're even too dumb to even read. Or do you happen to be a hustler? Everyone knows foxes are cheats and liars!"

Judy had been barely able to focus on the exchange as the pain was threatening to make her black out. However, when she heard the hyena insult Nick, she felt a sudden rush of anger that overrode the pain. _No one calls him that! He's my fox! He's the best mammal there is out there! How dare he!,_ as she furiously looked at the hyena. _If I get out of here, I'm going to ask for some 'private' time with this creep,_ she inwardly fumed.

Nick continued where he had left off, again pointing at the hyena with the cigarette in his paw. "Let's just assume everything you said is true," he said with a small smirk, "but the hostage has nothing to do with it. I'd appreciate it if you set her free so that we can get medical attention for her."

"Oh, I'm going to let her go," chuckled the hyena, "but after I'm done with everyone else," as he put down the gun and reached for the lighter to light the fuse of the sticks of dynamite strapped to his chest.

Judy saw the movement and she realized that if the bomb went off, Nick would die as well. "No!" she yelled as adrenaline coursed through her. She managed to twist her body in the air and kicked the lighter out of the hyena's paw. It spun around through the air and landed directly in front of Nick.

The hyena grabbed Judy by the neck as he began to strangle her in his paw. "Damn you, bunny! Looks like you're having a hard time understanding the situation you're in!" He picked up the gun, cocked and pointed it at Judy's head. "Believe me! I'm going to make it crystal clear for you right now!"

"Hey! Dumb-ass!" Nick yelled.

The hyena whirled around to face Nick, his rage further fuelled by the fox's words. He hesitated however; he didn't expect Nick to reach down for the lighter, pick it up and then toss it high in the air towards him.

Nick yelled, "Catch!"

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion at that point. The hyena was tracking the lighter as it flew towards him in a high arc when all of a sudden the fox's hind paw landed directly on his jaw. Nick had leapt from his standing position in order to land a roundhouse kick to the hyena's head, stunning him and making him drop the rabbit.

Nick immediately scooped up Judy's limp body and began running towards the exit with her. "Relax, Carrots, it's me, Nick. I'm here to rescue you," as he whispered to Judy hoping that he wasn't too late. He reached for the police radio he had hidden in the back of his pants. "This is Wilde! The hostage is secure," as he spoke into it. "Clear to engage! IED is not viable! I repeat, IED is a dud!"

 _BANG!_

She heard the sound and she initially thought that they were both dead. She immediately recognized, though, that it wasn't the sound of an explosion but of a gunshot instead. She felt Nick stagger as if he had missed a step but then he continued running. She noticed a rose beginning to bloom on the right side of his chest. She suddenly realized that he had been shot as the blood from the wound began seeping into his uniform. "Nick? NICK!" she screamed at him hoping he would stop as she tried to staunch the flow of blood with her paws.

Nick continued running as he merely smiled down at her, smirking as he coughed, "Gotta say, sweetie, you are one hard bunny to take care of."

They passed the TUSK team as they exited the building. Once outside, Nick collapsed and they both fell to the ground. Judy began to yell, "Medic! Medic! Officer down! Officer down!" as she painfully crawled over to his prone form and feverishly attempted to apply pressure on the wound without much success as she herself began to cough up blood.

* * *

Bogo sat in the waiting room of the hospital surrounded by the various members of Precinct One. Clawhauser and Francine Trunkaby were consoling one another, both of them emotionally distraught over the news of Nick and Judy being severely injured. Delgato was in the smoking lounge, chain-smoking. Fangmeyer continued to pace up and down the hallway of the Trauma Centre. Grizzoli, McHorn, the two wolves, Snarlov and Wolford, were sitting down as well, absent-mindedly looking at their mobile phones while waiting for news from the attending physician.

Suddenly, two elderly rabbits rushed into the room to confront Bogo. "Chief Bogo, I presume?" said the elder male rabbit, wringing his paw, as the female rabbit beside him looked on, both of them looking distraught.

"Ah, yes. You must be Mr. and Mrs. Hopps, Judy's parents. I wish I could have met you under more pleasant circumstances. Please have a seat." Bogo said as he indicated the empty space next to him.

As they sat, their faces silently begged him for more information regarding their daughter and as to why they had been summoned from Bunnyburrows. He wished he did not have to deal with this now but protocol demanded that in the event of a police officer suffering from a life-threatening or severe injury, the emergency contact provided by said officer needed to be informed. Bogo knelt before both the bunnies as a courtesy so that he did not tower over them when he gave them the news.

"Your daughter, Judy, was critically injured when she was captured as a hostage." Bogo began. "We were able to rescue her with the help of her partner, Officer Wilde, who also happened to be seriously wounded in the process of the rescue. I can't go into more details, as this is an ongoing investigation. According to the doctors, she suffered from a collapsed lung, several broken ribs, minor facial fractures, a fractured clavicle and severe hip contusions. She would have died from her internal injuries if not for the timely rescue by Officer Wilde."

As he listed her injuries, the eyes of Stu and Bonnie grew wider and wider with fear. "Is she okay?" whispered Bonnie. "Where is she now?"

Bogo nodded towards the emergency room doors. "We're waiting for the physician now to let us know how both of them are doing. As I had previously mentioned, Officer Wilde was also critically wounded in the rescue and we're also waiting for news about him."

Stu waived his paw as if dismissing the news about Nick. "I don't care about that fox!" Stu exclaimed, "What about my daughter? What are they doing for her now?" he demanded angrily.

Bogo's steely gaze fixed upon Stu's eyes with contempt. Stu was taken aback. He could have sworn the Cape Buffalo would have hit him if not for the presence of the others. Stu heard the other police officers muttering indignantly at him.

" _Your_ daughter," Bogo angrily said with emphasis, "is safe precisely because of the brave actions of _that_ fox! If Officer Wilde had not managed to subdue the perpetrator, we would now be having a conversation relating to the shipping of her remains. I am proud to have both of them under my command even though they are in a romantic relationship. They have both proven themselves to be able to work together professionally under the circumstances and I believe it is this bond that allows them to be successful."

Bonnie and Stu heard the heartfelt murmurs of approval from their daughter's fellow colleagues.

"At present," Bogo continued, "we have yet to know the status of Officer Wilde who was critically shot in the back by the deranged mammal during the rescue operation. He managed to carry her outside the building despite his injury where he collapsed due to blood loss. If you should thank anyone for saving your daughter, you should be thanking _that_ fox, if ever he survives the operation. That's the second time he's put his life on the line for her. You can't imagine how much he loves her." Bogo concluded as he chided Stu Hopps.

Stu and Bonnie both looked down chastised, ashamed at their treatment of Nick. They had been very much against the relationship from the beginning, afraid that Nick was only there to take advantage of Judy. They knew he was coming over for the Carrot Day Festival this weekend and they had planned a family intervention to get her to stop seeing the fox. Now, the very idea made them ashamed of even having thought of it.

The opening of the operating room door saved the Hopps from further embarrassment as the attending physician came out. All eyes locked onto the middle-aged camel clad in the green operating robe as he stripped off the latex gloves and removed the operating mask.

"How are they, doctor?" asked Bogo.

"They are both doing well, Chief Bogo. Officer Hopps is quite a fighter and one tough bunny. She'll pull through and just needs a few weeks of rest and being out of the field for a while. Officer Wilde is quite lucky as well. It must be the two rabbit's feet that he carries all the time that are rubbing off on him," he chuckled at his own joke. "Anyway, the bullet missed vital organs and we were able to extract it from him without any issues. He'll also need a few weeks off to recuperate. Here," he said as he placed a small vial containing the spent bullet in Bogo's hoof. "I understand you'll need this for evidence against the shooter."

"Thank you, Doctor. May we go in to see them?" asked Bonnie.

The camel chuckled. "Like I said, you have a very headstrong daughter there, Mrs. Hopps. She wouldn't take no for an answer and climbed into the hospital bed of Officer Wilde once we wheeled them into the recovery room together. I'd give them a few minutes to be alone," he winked as he smiled.

Bogo groaned as he slapped a hoof to his head as the members of Precinct One hooted good-naturedly. _Those two will be the death of me, I swear!_

* * *

Nick awoke from the operation to find Judy lying next to him in the hospital bed. _This is getting to be a recurring thing between us,_ Nick smilingly mused. _Maybe I should make it more permanent?_

As he took stock of his situation, he was aware of the dull ache that he felt in his chest. Overall, that seemed to be the only issue but at the moment, it hurt him to even move a little. He then worriedly scanned Judy's face. The puffiness from her eyes had gone down slightly and she was sporting several large bandages on her face for the injuries she had suffered. Her right arm was in a sling and it looked like her chest was wrapped up tightly as well. She had her left arm draped across his chest and was lightly snoring, her little button nose twitching in her sleep. _She looks so cute and adorable in her sleep,_ thought Nick.

"Don't call me cute, Slick," she muttered in her sleep.

Nick was startled. _That was just coincidence, right? She's probably dreaming about us right now. Okay, things to keep mentally filed away in case she's telepathic…"_

The door to the hospital room opened and he watched as Chief Bogo and Judy's parents filed in. At this point, he no longer was embarrassed and merely smirked at them in smug satisfaction. "Lady and gentlmammals, thank you for all coming. We'd get up but we're currently indisposed right now," he said with a chuckle.

"Shut it, Wilde! At least have the decency to act civilized in front of her parents!" chided Bogo.

"Why should he respect them if they don't treat him fairly?" asked Judy as she awoke from her nap. She made no move to pull away from where she lay on Nick. "This mammal has done more for me than what they could imagine," she said as she sat up in the hospital bed while glaring at her parents, "and he doesn't deserve being treated like a criminal."

Stu and Bonnie both looked at each other and nodded. Stu took his hat off, held it to his chest and approached the bed. "We'd like to apologize to Nick and you, Jude. We heard from Chief Bogo how he's saved your life twice already. We were wrong in assuming the worst of him. Nick," as he turned to face him, "I'd like to offer my apologies for threatening to shoot you with my shotgun earlier and a father's heartfelt thanks for saving my daughter." Stu said as he extended his paw to him.

Nick grimaced in pain as he lifted his paw to shake Stu's paw. "The pleasure was mine, Mr. Hopps. She means the world to me."

"Just call me Stu. No need for formalities. Now, to show you we are sincere in our apology, we'd like to have you both recuperate in Bunnyburrow for at least the next two weeks. You both are going to need assistance to get around and you'll have Judy's two hundred seventy five siblings around to help. We've spoken to Chief Bogo about it," Stu nodded in Bogo's direction, "and he agrees with us that this is the best option."

Bonnie chimed in as she stood next to Stu, "It will also give us a chance to get to know our daughter's boyfriend better. And I'm sure Nicholas will be happy to hear about some of your childhood adventures as well," she said as she smiled at Nick.

"I definitely would like that, Mrs. Hopps. I'd be happy to go if Judy agrees to it as well," Nick said with a mischievous gleam in his eye.

Judy groaned at this. "No! No embarrassing stories or childhood photos! We'll go but I want you to promise you won't do that to me!" Judy said with panic in her voice.

Bonnie chuckled as she said, "Just call me Bonnie, Nick. No promises Judy," she said as she laughed at Judy's discomfort. "It's a parent's duty to embarrass their daughter in front of their boyfriend."

Judy, resigned to the fact that Nick would tease her constantly once he heard all the embarrassing details, agreed. "Fine! But no shotguns," as she glared at her father.

Stu chuckled at this as he raised his paws in defense, "Don't worry, Jude the Dude. We'll even hide the fox taser and other Fox-Away products from Pop-pop as well."

"Jude the Dude?" snickered Nick.

Judy turned around and glared at him with menacing eyes. "You repeat that one more time and I'll be the one shaving you from head to paw, mister!"

Nick saw the promised threat in her eyes and wisely nodded acquiescence. _Another thing not to call her!_ Nick mentally filed away.

The conversation continued for a few more minutes and then Stu and Bonnie excused themselves, saying they had to catch the last train out to Bunnyburrow. As they carefully hugged her goodbye, they elicited a promise from Judy that she would text them once they were on their way.

As Judy' parents left, Bogo addressed both of them. "You two were very lucky today. You both could have been killed out there. Having said that, good work Officers!" Bogo said, a rare smile appearing on his face. "The hyena is in custody and they'll be processing charges for kidnapping, resisting arrest, unlawful possession of a weapon, two counts for assaulting an officer of the law but not for possession of explosives. By the way, Wilde, how did you know that the bombs were fake?" queried Bogo.

Nick tapped his nose. "I noticed that he kept us at a distance and would never let anyone near him. However, after I kicked him in the face, I was close enough and I couldn't smell any TNT on him. I know what it smells like ever since I took the bomb-disposal classes at the academy. You can't forget that distinct odour."

Judy then asked him, "Why were you smoking a cigarette? I never knew that you smoked."

"I never have. That was part of the hustle, Carrots. You see, hyenas have a strong sense of smell just like foxes and wolves. Knowing you were there as a hostage made me scared. I didn't want him to smell my fear so I used the cigarette to mask it. I didn't want him to have the upper hand in the negotiations. Remember? _Never let them know that they get to you_."

Bogo shook his head in admiration at Nick's explanation. "I will make sure that this mammal will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law given his priors," Bogo assured the both of them. "No one hurts two of my best officers and gets away with a slap on the wrist. I'll make sure he goes away for a very long time," he promised.

"I'd like five minutes with him alone in the cell if I had my way," growled Nick, his ears flattening in anger over the memory of the injured Judy dangling helplessly in the hyena's paws.

"Ditto," snarled Judy, clearly upset that Nick had almost died because of the deranged mammal.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that from my two officers who apparently are still groggy from their pain medication." Bogo cautioned, as he crossed his hoofs over his wide chest, the warning clear in his tone and glare as he chastised them. "Leave him to the system. Any other action would be ill advised." He then turned to Nick and said, "I believe this is yours, Officer Wilde," as he returned the small box Nick had given him earlier that day.

"Thanks for keeping it warm, Chief," Nick gratefully said.

Bogo snorted. "Next time you need someone to babysit your possessions, get someone else, Wilde," he said as he turned to leave. "And I don't expect the both of you back until three weeks from today. Doctor's orders. As of today, you are both on paid medical leave. Take the time off to recuperate and get it out of your system. I hear Bunnyburrows is lovely this time of the year. I want my best officers back in tiptop shape, physically and mentally, when they report back for duty. And as a small bonus, I don't get to hear Wilde's wisecracks for at least another three weeks."

"Aww, Chief! I didn't think you cared," snickered Nick.

"Shut it, Wilde!" Bogo said as he glared at him. "Don't make me regret asking the Mayor to rescind the disciplinary action against the both of you and reinstating you retroactively with pay considering the bravery both of you exhibited today in the line of duty!" he warned, his hoof on the door handle.

"Thank you Chief! Give our love to the wife and kids," Judy said cheerily as she tightly grasped Nick's muzzle in her paw to keep him from speaking.

Bogo grunted but she saw the amusement in his eyes just as he turned and left the room.

She then spoke to Nick, "Officer Wilde, before I let your muzzle go, I must give you fair warning," she sweetly cooed as she nestled in closer. "You have exactly thirty seconds to explain what is in that box or else I'll be calling for the doctor to patch you up for another wound. These teeth can do more than just eat bouquets," she said as she waggled her eyebrows.

Nick sighed. "Be it for Bogo to spoil a surprise. Anyway, it's a Promise Ring. I was going to give it to you during the Carrot Festival in front of your parents. It's meant to say that I promise to be with only you. It's also my way of saying, _I promise to always love you_ ," he said as he opened the box to show her the simple little silver band studded with a carrot shaped topaz stone. "I want us to move on to the next step in our relationship. I want to ask us to become exclusive to one another. Judy, will you be my mate?" Nick said as he held the ring up to her.

Judy was overwhelmed with emotion. Although it wasn't an engagement ring, it definitely made her feel all the more special. She knew she wanted to be with him forever but she knew they had to do this in baby steps. The fact that Nick was proposing to be her mate meant that they would be telling all other mammals that she was taken. She blinked back her tears of joy as she answered him, "Yes! Yes! I do want to be your mate, Nick!" sang Judy as she excitedly slipped the ring onto her left paw. She then turned to Nick and said, "I want to get a ring just like this for you but in the meantime, can you bend your head down a little?" Judy asked mischievously.

Nick did as he was told. Judy lovingly ran her chin along the top of his head, between his ears, and across his muzzle finally marking his nose as she explained, "Rabbits and bunnies used to chin their partners in order to let others know that they've been taken. The myth that rabbits are promiscuous isn't one at all. Rabbit culture is a bit loose when it comes to sex but just like red foxes, once we find our mate, we remain monogamous. Chinning is the way we tell other horny bucks and does, _Hands off the merchandise!_ " she said with a grin. "If you're coming to Bunnyburrow with me, I want to make sure that everyone knows you're mine!" she said proudly.

Nick could smell her desirable scent all over him but the one on the nose was torture! "No fair, Judy!" Nick whined as he desperately tried to lick the scent off his nose. "I won't be able to concentrate if all I'm smelling is you. It's driving me up the wall with desire and it hurts to move. Please get it off," Nick pleaded as he continued to try licking it off with his tongue.

Judy laughed at the sight of Nick's tongue crazily trying to lick off her scent on his nose. "Well, I can think of other ways to take your mind off that scent," she suggested sexily as her left paw travelled southwards.

Nick's eyes grew wide as saucers. "Carrots, I really can't move here!"

"Who said you had to do the moving, lover?" she said huskily into his ear.

Nick knew it was going to be a long night with a very horny bunny.


	6. The Foundation - Part One

Disclaimer: All characters are owned by ©Disney. Any resemblance to actual persons or mammals, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The following OCs belong to their respective creators: Karma, Serendipity and Violet belong to kittah4; Dr. Dave Hawethorne belongs to eng050599; Bailey and Lori belong to selaxes. Part of my story was directly influenced by this short comic: sirenetzukidark dot deviantart dot com / art / Really-Nick-598571754

I want to thank the following authors for their fiction: **midnight-opheliac** , "Safe Paws"; **Kulkum** , "The Savage Dark"; kittah4, "Zootopia: Partners" and the terminologies, _Wolfeyer_ and 'WildeHopps Effect', are attributable to **Zanrok-Wiggins** . Some of their ideas have found their way into my story and I'd like to apologize in advance. I'm not a pirate, just an admiring fan hacking away at a keyboard.

* * *

Author's notes: First of all, my apologies to those who have been following my stories. The combination of writer's block, changes in my work schedule plus starting an online course all contributed to the delay of posting any updates to this series. This was meant to be released in March, the month The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada celebrates how it has impacted the lives of young children by granting nearly 25,000 wishes over thirty years. I started writing a chapter in February and it quickly blew up into five more chapters. I wanted to release all five at once as they are all related to the same topic but it looks like RL had other plans. So, we will start off with this and hopefully the rest will not take as long to get updated.

Many thanks to my many editors who helped me churn this story out: DancingLunarWolves , Stubat007, eng050599, and NightWolf0179

* * *

The helicopter, ZPD One, billowed up a thick cloud of dust as it landed near the Hopps residence. Normally reserved for Chief Bogo's exclusive use for when he went out in the field, today it was carrying two special passengers who were being ferried from the Zootopia General Hospital on the orders of the Chief himself. Inside the cockpit, Sergeant Higgins and Officer Fangmeyer started shutting down the transport so they could help Nick and Judy disembark.

Although the fox and the bunny had survived the assault from the hostage situation, they had suffered debilitating injuries. Their attending physician had delayed discharging them so they would be healthy enough to travel. They were released from the hospital five days after their operation but he requested they be transferred in a medevac unit to their final destination where they would then start their three-week paid medical leave in Bunnyburrow on the personal invitation of Judy's parents, Stu and Bonny Hopps.

As the tigress opened the passenger door, she immediately held her paw over her nose, suffering from the mixed scents wafting from inside. "Jeez, guys," she complained to the couple, "couldn't you have waited till we arrived at Bunnyburrow? The Chief is going to have a fit! He's going to have to fumigate the interior just to get rid of the smell," Fangmeyer said as she pulled out the ramp allowing their motorized wheelchair to exit from the helicopter. The chair was large enough to allow both the fox and bunny to sit side by side comfortably. However, the bunny in question was presently sitting on her mate's lap where she was chinning the fox's neck.

Nick chuckled. "Sorry, Fangs. I'm still trying to figure where the 'off' switch is on her," the fox murmured as he marked his mate in response to her actions, running the side of his muzzle along her ears.

Judy smacked him on the chest softly with her paw, careful not to hit his still-healing wound. "Oh, stop it, Slick! You're just as bad as I am. With winter coming, you haven't stopped marking me ever since we took off. You'd think the Promise Rings we're wearing would be enough warning," she said as she lovingly gazed at the silver ring topped with a carrot-shaped topaz stone on her finger.

Nick looked at the almost identical ring Judy had gotten for him except that it had a tanzanite stone shaped and coloured like a blueberry. "They're effective when it comes to most mammals, Carrots, but canids go by smell first before they rely on sight," he explained. "Besides," he chuckled as he swiped his muzzle against her cheek, "better safe than sorry, I always say."

The tigress put a paw up to her head, feeling a headache coming on brought about by what was commonly known in the precinct as the 'WildeHopps effect'. "Look," she sighed, "I don't need the details nor do I care, but Bogo's going to have my head because of this. Next time, can you please get a room?"

"Sorry, Nadine," apologized Judy, lowering her ears behind her. "We'll make it up to you and Higgins when we get back. It's just I'm so excited to be back home with Nick, especially now that we're a couple."

Judy chose not to disclose her insecurity as Nick was her very first real boyfriend. She knew there was a small risk of bringing him home to her two hundred seventy-five brothers and sisters because there were some - both female and male - who would not hesitate to bed any handsome mammal wearing pants...and Nick was more than handsome. He was dazzling, charming, witty and caring. The perfect conquest for any of her more unrestrained siblings unless she clearly marked him, and defended her mate vigorously. She trusted Nick to her very core, but she knew from firsthand knowledge how underhanded her more promiscuous kinfolk could be. She inwardly sighed, as she knew she would have to literally beat some of them off with a stick.

"As for Nick," she continued, giggling as she did, "it's mating season for foxes, Nadine. They're more aggressive during winter, especially when they have a mate," Judy purred, smirking at the fox who was furtively trying to avoid looking directly at the tigress. "He doesn't want to admit he's being a stereotypical male tod possessively marking his mate to warn off others, particularly since we're visiting Bunnyburrow," Judy said with a twinkle in her amethyst eyes as she leaned into Nick's chest while running her paws through the fox's tail which had wrapped itself around her waist. "He's just making sure no bucks make a move on me."

Nick growled at her teasing. "Fine! I just can't stand the thought of some dumb male putting his paws on you, okay? I trust you completely. It's everyone else I don't," Nick snapped.

Judy put her paws on his muzzle as she gently pulled it down so she could look into his emerald orbs with half-lidded eyes. "Nick, I'm a big girl now. You do know I can take care of myself, right?" Judy grinned at his guilty face. "Besides, do you hear me complaining, Officer Wilde?" she cooed. "Your scent on me makes me feel special; completely, utterly loved and wanted. So, if you ever hesitate to mark me, we're going to have a few choice words, understand?" Judy coyly warned.

Nick gulped and smiled warmly. "Yes, dear."

"Finally learning, Slick," she nodded as she patted his cheek and planted a small kiss on the side of his muzzle. "You'd also better not be grumbling about my chinning you…unless there's a reason you don't want me to?" Judy shot back at Nick, raising an eyebrow with a mock threatening glare in her eye.

Not wanting to give Judy the idea her alluring scent on him was something he didn't desire or look forward to every day, Nick hastily and firmly responded, "No, dear!"

The sound of a whip cracking in the air was suddenly heard. Both Nick and Judy turned to face the tigress who was holding her phone as it played the whiplash ringtone, snickering at Nick as she did. Fangmeyer humorously rolled her eyes at the embarrassed couple. "You guys bicker like a married couple already. Both of you are so sickeningly sweet," she drolly huffed, "I need to get you out of my system before I throw up my breakfast. So, end of the line for you two," she said as they approached the edge of the field where a rather large group of bunnies had gathered and were waiting. "Don't forget to check in once a week with Bogo. He said something about the Mayor requesting you doing some MII work while you're on paid medical leave," she chuckled.

Nick groaned at the news. "Work? Seriously?" he grumbled. "I thought we could just lie in bed for three weeks and be waited on paw and foot by her siblings."

"C'mon, Slick," Judy admonished, "You know we can't do that. Besides, my siblings have other things to do around the farm and I don't want to be a burden to them. Once our stitches are removed and we have medical clearance from the doctor at the Bunnyburrow General Hospital, I plan to start rehabilitation right away, and you're going to be joining me on my daily 5-mile morning runs while we're here," she beamed. "We need to build up your stamina, sweetheart," as she coquettishly pressed herself into his uninjured side and rubbed the top of her head against his jaw, "for our other extracurricular activities."

Nick groaned. "Just my luck. I would have to fall in love with the Energizer Bunny! Have a heart, Carrots!" Nick laughed, a warm fuzzy feeling enveloping him as he wrapped his arms around Judy, pulling her closer to nuzzle her. "The doctor said not to engage in any strenuous activities for the next week until our stitches were out. Given my side still hurts like crap even with the painkillers, I'll be happy just cuddling," he said, warmly smiling down at his mate.

"I know. But you can't fault a female for trying, can you?" Judy giggled as she playfully waggled her eyebrows at him. "Besides, with my family around, I doubt if we'd get any privacy to do anything except hold hands."

Fangmeyer snorted at the two. "TMI, guys, please have mercy!" She then glanced up and her eyes widened in terror. "Uh, Hopps? What the hell is coming our way?"

Judy looked up and chuckled. "That? It's just the Hopps _kerfluffle_. Don't panic, Nadine. Just stand your ground," she giggled, "Be calm. They can smell your fear."

Nick also glanced up. What he saw filled him with dread. When he had driven Judy back to the farm after the incident at the Natural History Museum, he had been on the receiving end of her younger relatives' enthusiastic greeting. The memory still sent a shiver down his spine.

"Fang," he fearfully whispered from the side of his muzzle, "if you value your fur, you will back away and quickly make your way back to the chopper. They've never seen a large predator before and they don't know the meaning of fear."

Fangmeyer gulped and asked, "What about you guys? Will you be okay?"

Judy tittered as she waved her paw at the tigress, "We'll be fine. My dad and mom warned them about our injuries so they know not to hurt us. There's really no need to run, Nadine. It's just the young ones."

Nick quickly turned his head around and looking at the tigress, terror evident in his eyes as he screamed, "Run, Fangmeyer, run! Or else it'll be too late!"

The startled tigress froze in her tracks. However, once she finally comprehended the severity of the situation, she regained her senses and quickly spun around to dash back to the helicopter. But her hesitation cost her. The _kerfluffle_ descended on her, like a plague of locusts, the mass engulfing the tigress before she could take more than two steps and covered her completely in a sea of inquisitive furriness.

"Wow, she's the biggest feline I've ever seen. Look at her teeth!"

"She has whiskers like us! She also has soft fur underneath her coat!"

"Look at how long her tail is! Does it hurt if we pull on it?"

"Look at how big her claws are! Neat!"

"Her partner is a wolf," said another as Fangmeyer's wallet was passed around. "Hey, there's a picture of them kissing!"

Nick chuckled. "Told you I could make her bolt, Carrots. I win." Nick declared.

"Fine, but I still think you milked it with the screaming," Judy giggled as she reached into her pocket and passed a twenty over to him. Judy tried to be mad at Nick but she couldn't help herself and laughed at the sight of the female tiger stretching out a paw, beseeching for some sort of merciful respite from the onslaught of fluffiness as the _kerfluffle_ held her down, poking and prodding at the helpless feline.

Suddenly, there came a shout from behind them. "Kits! What did we say about greeting our guests?" Bonnie said as she appeared on the scene.

"Be gentle with them, Meemaw!" sang the mass in one voice.

"Well, then," as she clapped her paws, "let the good Officer up so she can breathe, okay? And, kits? You hand back all her stuff. You hear me?" chided Bonnie as she made her way to Fangmeyer.

"I'm sorry there, Officer," Bonnie said as she offered a paw to the tigress to help her stand up. The feline was impressed with the display of physical strength by the older female Hopps. " _I'll never belittle the job of a farmer and a mother again_!" Fangmeyer thought, realizing farm work and having to care for so many kits was quite laborious. Considering what Judy had told her, they did not have any employees on the farm except for her siblings. Now she knew where Judy got her muscle. "They are all just so full of energy, they can be a pawful at the best of times. I hope you weren't hurt," inquired the elder doe as she glared at the kits who were busy depositing Fangmeyer's wallet, police radio, keys and tranquilizer gun at the tigress' feet.

"No harm done, ma'am," Fangmeyer replied with a forced smile, intimidated by Bonnie's commanding presence. "I'm sure I made life difficult for my parents when I was a young kitten myself. Kits will be kits," she said, chuckling nervously. She then turned to Nick as she bent down to gather her things and softly hissed, "I'll get you for this, Wilde!"

Nick only waggled his eyebrows and remarked with a snicker, "Give my love to Wolford, Fangs! Although, he's told me he'd prefer your lips on his any day," he teased as he waved goodbye with his paw. "Great photo, by the way."

Fangmeyer ferociously blushed then glared at Nick, snarling as her tail angrily snapped about her, "We were caught under the mistletoe during last year's Christmas party. That doesn't prove anything!"

"Suuure. Then, why did you keep it?" he chortled.

Fangmeyer couldn't answer as she turned beet red and merely snarled. She gathered what little dignity she had left to make her way back to the helicopter. Once she had climbed in, the rotors began to spin and the chopper soon lifted off to make its way back to Zootopia.

"Fangmeyer and Wolford? Really, Nick? How did you find out?" asked Judy incredulously.

The fox smiled. "Wolves aren't the only one with a keen sense of smell," he snickered as he tapped his nose, "and no matter how much scent-blocker those two put on themselves, I could still smell their scents on each other, more than usual," the tod chortled as he waggled his eyebrows. "Also, I may have also gotten Wolford drunk - not intentionally, mind you - and he may have slipped a little. Plus, Fangmeyer confirmed it as well just now when she blushed. I'll need to call Benjie to confirm my winnings in the _Wolfeyer_ betting pool," Nick said as he grinned.

" _Wolfeyer_? Really?" said the doe as she rolled her eyes but playfully smacked his good arm with her paw.

"Ow! What was that for?" Nick good-humoredly grumbled as he rubbed his sore arm to ease the stinging.

"For betting without telling me," she replied teasingly. "You know…your mate could use a new wardrobe, right?" she said seductively. "And since I'm short on cash…"

"Hold on," Nick whined, "I had plans for those funds."

"Oh, well, if you don't want to see me in Zootopia Secret's latest line of bedroom lingerie," the bunny pointed out as she showed him their catalog on her phone, "I guess I'll just have to go to Targoat and buy my bedroom shorts there. It's not as sexy, but it'll do."

Nick stared at the bunny model wearing what looked to be a one-piece backless sweater dress where the hemline ended about six inches below the hips and the back part entrapped the model's tail so the fluffy appendage stood firmly at attention. The website called it the VK Sweater. He conceded it definitely left nothing to the imagination. He imagined Judy wearing it and his tail involuntarily started wagging on its own. Nick managed to swallow and croaked, "I…I guess I could use it for that. After all," he weakly agreed, "who am I to deny my mate her heart's desire."

* * *

"Thanks for keeping the _kerfluffle_ at bay, mom," Judy mentioned as she and Nick rode their motorized transport to the front of the house where a ramp had been added to the porch to accommodate their present disability. "Nick's still hurting from the gunshot wound and they still have to take our stitches out. We've been advised to takes things easy and to use the wheelchair for the first week or so. We're supposed to meet a doctor from Zootopia who's doing consulting work at the Bunnyburrow General Hospital later on this week. He'll be reporting on our recovery to Chief Bogo directly. Once we have clearance from the doctor, we can start walking around like normal mammals again."

"Yes, and thank you again, Mrs. Hopps," agreed Nick. "I love the fluffy mob, but I don't think I could have taken being tackled like a sack of potatoes and having my tail being manhandled in my present condition."

"You're both welcome!" Bonnie acknowledged as she held open the front door to let the motorized conveyance through. "I'm just happy you're finally here. And Nicholas, please, we've been over this several times. You can call me Bonnie," she said, smiling at Nick as she gently placed a paw on his arm. "We'd like to make up for our poor hospitality the last time you were here with Judy. Are you both hungry?" she suddenly asked. "There's still some pancakes from breakfast available in the dining hall."

"Are they blueberry pancakes?" Nick requested with a hopeful and excited flick of his bushy tail. "I still remember you make a mean batch of blueberry pancakes topped with blueberry syrup." He licked his chops in anticipation, utterly failing to hide the fact that he was salivating at the upcoming treat.

"I can make some for you, no problem. I'll just warm them up on the stove and add some of the blueberries. And I know you love our blueberries," Bonnie said with a twinkle in her eye. "Judy always asks us to send an extra basket for you in the monthly care package we send her."

Nick looked at his mate with feigned surprise. "Carrots, you never told me they send two baskets! You've been holding out on me all this time," he chuckled. He turned back to Bonnie. "Yes, I admit blueberries are my weakness. But not as much as my love for 'Carrots'," he smirked, using his paws to indicate air quotes as he used his nickname for Judy.

Bonnie slyly grinned. "Well then, I see the 'root' of all your problems."

Judy cringed then snickered. "Mom!" she said with a laugh. "You're just as bad as Nick! Please 'leaf' well enough alone." Judy shot back with a gleam in her eye, her ears upright as she eagerly took up the unspoken challenge.

"Well, I'm sure he finds you a-'peeling' and he loves you 'berry' much," Bonnie jousted back, giggling as she did.

Judy groaned playfully. "Mom! 'Lettuce' decide how we'll navigate our relationship, okay? I'm really 'grape'-ful for what I have with Nick and I know he loves me from my head 'tomatoes'." Judy parried back, grinning wildly.

Nick's head was swirling with the back and forth banter between the two rabbits. Judy looked up from her seat beside him and laughed at his dazed look.

"I should have warned you, Slick. Don't start a punning war amongst bunny farmers. Aside from multiplying," Judy said with a small hip bump as she gave him a seductive side-glance, "gardening puns are the other thing we are very good at."

Nick smiled at his mate, enamored by her laughter, which never failed to lift his spirits. "Clever bunny!" he merrily barked.

"Dumb fox," Judy said lovingly, lowering her ears behind her head so they wouldn't smack Nick in the face as she reached up to place a light kiss on the side of his muzzle.

"But I'm your dumb fox," he teased back as he ran his paw over her ears. " _So soft. I can never get tired of how wonderful she makes me feel_ ," he thought.

"Huh, I wonder if I can get a refund for you," she retorted with a twinkle in her eye, as she booped his nose with her paw.

"Sorry, Fluff. It clearly states in the fine print: _No return, no exchange, and no escape_. You're stuck with me," he smirked.

"And where is this fine print, Officer Wilde?" she hummed, raising an eyebrow challengingly.

"Right here," cooed the tod, as he gently hooked his paw around her neck, bringing their muzzles together in a prolonged smooch.

"Mmm…," she preened afterwards, "I may need to go over those terms time and again with you, Officer...several times," as she fluttered her eyelids seductively at him. "My mind tends to go blank with such legal jargon."

Bonnie smiled as she coughed to get their attention since it seemed the pair had forgotten she was in the room. Nick and Judy immediately sat upright, putting a little space between them in the wheelchair, embarrassed at putting on a public display of their affection in front of Judy's mother. Noting the matching rings on their paws, Bonnie took a good long whiff of the scents coming off the both of them, grinning as she remarked, "Well, I think we need to get to know our potential son-in-law more first before we give our consent to marriage."

Judy's ears shot up in surprise, feeling like they were on fire, smacking Nick in the face. The tod, meanwhile, had raised a glass of water to his lips, but Bonnie's statement and Judy's ear smack caught him off guard. The combination of all three had him convulsed in a sudden choking fit as he swallowed the water the wrong way. Judy gently pounded his back to help him cope as she stammered while blushing crimson red, "Uhm, wh-who said anything about marriage?"

Bonnie just snickered as she waived her paw at the two. "Judy, I'm your mother. I know these things. Besides, after having been married over thirty years to your father," she said with a pleased look in her eyes, "I've seen the same thing with your other siblings. I'm not saying it'll happen tomorrow," she continued, as she strode towards the kitchen, "But I do expect Nick to ask your father for your hand in marriage as a proper gentlemammal should," she chuckled.

As Nick and Judy stared at each other wide-eyed, Bonnie's head popped out of kitchen door, startling them. "Oh, and even though you're mates, if you don't want your father bringing the shotgun out, it would be best if you abstain from any 'extracurricular activities' while you're here in the house," Bonnie warningly teased. "However, outside the house is fair game. Just make sure the younger ones don't catch you making out like rabbits!" Bonnie cackled.

Bonnie couldn't tell who blushed more; her daughter or the tod, given his fur hid it well. She smiled inwardly. " _Well, as a parent, I've done my job here_." Embarrassing her children and their suitors was a basic requirement of good parenting. She knew Judy was quite new in the area of love and she just needed to be given a nudge in the right direction. She returned back to the kitchen. " _I may need to speak to Stu to make room for some tofu burgers for Nick in one of the many freezers we have_ ," she reflected. She liked Nick and was already beginning to think of him as family seeing how happy he made Judy.

* * *

"Well…that was surreal," Nick said, still reeling from Bonnie's comments. He knew rabbits were very open about sex. He just never thought he would be openly discussing it with Bonnie even before he and Judy had a chance to. He looked to Judy who sat pensively beside him. "Carrots? Are you okay? Penny for your thoughts?"

Judy blushed as she didn't know if now was the time to discuss it. But with her mother bringing up the topic, they would need to have the discussion, sooner or later. Ears drooping, she bit her lower lip nervously; she didn't know how to approach the subject matter they had both obviously been tiptoeing around.

"Judy?" she heard Nick worriedly ask, as his paw reached around to grasp her waist, pulling her closer to him.

She sighed, leaning her head against his chest, and breathed in his musky, lavender scent. " _I've never backed away from anything before, and I do know Nick is the one I want to be with for the rest of my life, no matter what the odds are against us. I just don't know how he feels about_ -"…her musings were interrupted when she heard Nick say something but she had been too engrossed with her own thoughts to hear what he had said.

"I'm sorry, Nick!" she quickly apologized. "I was caught up in my own thoughts. What was your question?" she said as she smiled at her mate, gently squeezing the paw around her waist.

"It was more of a statement than a question, really." Nick morosely said. Judy noticed his ears were flat against his head and his usual jovial demeanor was gone. His tail had fallen off her lap and hung listlessly behind him. "I said, ' _You're worried about us not being able to have kits of our own_.'"

She saw Nick had slipped his mask on again, the one he put on when he knew his feelings would be hurt. She gently pulled his muzzle towards her and kissed him tenderly. He returned the kiss with an ardor bordering on desire, begging with his probing tongue to enter her mouth. She accepted the persistent invitation with a hunger she hadn't been aware of, seeking out his tongue with her own in order to engage it in a sensual dance as she firmly latched onto the back of his neck with her free paw to press him closer. She marveled at the fact that, despite the physical differences of their muzzles, they had managed to find a comfortable arrangement in order to share their intimacy. Their mouths fit so perfectly they passed their breath to one another, as if engaged in mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, surviving off each other's exhalations. When they finally separated, a thin trail of saliva still linked them, as if neither one wanted to the connection to be broken.

"Don't do that, Nick," she gently chided as she wiped the moisture from both their muzzles. "You know I'd be the very last person to ever hurt you. Please don't shut me out. You're my mate and I'll never leave you," Judy pleaded, seeking to comfort him as she pressed her head to his chest while hugging him. She could clearly hear the nervous tempo of his heartbeat as he tried to rein in his emotions.

"I'm afraid that one day you'll leave me because we can't have kits of our own. I mean you come from a large family," he queried forlornly, as he cradled her head. "And isn't it in the nature of bunnies to want to start a family of their own?"

"Nick," she said rather exasperated as she looked up at him, "if you haven't noticed by now, I'm a pretty far cry from your typical bunny. I was preparing for law enforcement while my other siblings were partying, carousing and...inadvertently starting families of their own. Nobody wanted to go out with me because the thought of being anything but a farmer was considered crazy," she recalled with sadness. "'Loony Judy', they'd call me. The one date I went out on was for Prom Night and the rabbit who asked me out only did it on a dare. As soon as we arrived at the school auditorium, he abandoned me to collect on his bet and started asking the other does to dance with him. I ended up walking home alone. Afterwards, I only focused on getting into the ZPD and proving to everyone a bunny could make it as a cop."

Nick realized Judy's experience was similar to his own, and yet, in testament to her character, she had chosen to pursue her dream while he had abandoned his. He blinked back his tears realizing how, through a series of coincidences that read like a badly written Zoollywood movie script, he had been able to find the one mammal who had managed to shake him by his tail and inspire him to reanimate his once forgotten youthful life vision. He gently nuzzled her neck as he whispered, "I'm biased, sweetie. I'm sorry you had a shitty love life when you were younger. But, then again, I'm not sorry because it meant you and I were able to meet. You've become the center of my universe. You inspire me daily to follow my own dream of being able to help others. Judy," he solemnly declared as he took her left paw in his right, carefully intertwining their digits so as not to hurt her with his claws, "you are the most beautiful thing to come into this ex-hustler's life and I will gladly follow you to the gates of Hades and back," as he tightened his grip on her waist with his left paw, curled his tail around her and kissed her forehead.

Judy smiled bashfully, unused to such high praise from a male, but this one was her mate. _Her mate_! Those two words resounded loudly in her head and brought immeasurable joy to her heart. He knew her as well as she did him. Granted, he still kept things from her but she could not fault him, as he had twenty years of emotional baggage to deal with. The fact he opened himself to her at all was proof there was a caring mammal underneath all the wisecracks, bluster and smarminess, a mammal she had gotten to know during the Missing Mammals case. Wiping a tear from her eye, she kissed him again on the side of his muzzle and wrapped her arms around his neck as she buried her muzzle in his fur, inhaling his musky scent. "Oh, you foxes," she chirred softly, as she gently hugged him back, mindful of his injuries, "so emotional."

She untangled herself from his neck after a few minutes, comforted by the fact that he was going to be there for her no matter what decision they came to regarding a family.

"Nick, even though we may not be able to have kits of our own," she went on, "it's not a deal-breaker for me. I've done some research so I know what we're up against. Let's talk about it later on tonight. In the meantime, we still need to check in with the visiting doctor from Zootopia. Let me call his mobile number to set up an appointment. Then, I'm sure the rest of the family will want to meet my mate," she declared as she snuggled up to Nick, appreciating the feeling of warmth and security just by being in physical contact with him.

As they both settled comfortably into the wheelchair, she dialed the number on her cellphone and after two rings, it was picked up. "Dr. David Hawthorne, here. How may I help you?" came the voice on the other end.

"Good day, Dr. Hawthorne, this is Judy Hopps calling."

"Ah, yes, Officer Hopps. Dr. Joe Dromedary told me to expect your call. I understand the severity of your wounds restricts your ability to move around, so I don't mind dropping by where you're staying so I can check on your recovery. Is Officer Wilde with you?"

"Yes, Doctor. We're both at my parents' place in Bunnyburrow. I hope it won't be an inconvenience for you especially since it is quite a distance from the General Hospital."

"Not at all," chuckled the voice on the phone, "I'll finish up my duties today and then I can pop over there tomorrow, first thing in the morning to check on you both. I'm sure I can get one of the local officers to drive me over there. It'll also give me a chance to see the countryside as I've been cooped up here all week in the hospital."

Judy continued her conversation with Dr. Hawthorne, giving him instructions on how to get to her parents' farm while Nick leaned back into the wheelchair and reflected on their conversation.

Truthfully, he was scared; the fear of Judy leaving him for any number of reasons frightened him sometimes to the point where he would almost have an anxiety attack. He had been alone the last twenty years, surviving day-to-day, wandering aimlessly from one hustle to the next. It had been frightening in the beginning and he had suffered through several episodes alone. As he had gotten older, the attacks lessened but still reoccurred from time to time, especially in highly stressful situations. It was a miracle that he had been able to survive at all. She had changed all of that in a blink of an eye when she had hustled him into helping her. He didn't want to admit it at first, but when he saw the bright light of her eyes fade when Bogo had demanded her badge from her at the Rainforest District, he had fallen in love with her. And despite the cruel words she had naively spoken at the Press Conference, he had continued to love her and only had his pride to blame for walking out on her. He could not conceive being without her in his life.

He wistfully returned from his reverie, surveying Judy's old home. The first time he had been here was when Judy was released from the hospital after suffering the injury to her leg during the chase in the Natural History Museum. He had driven her back in her father's truck, the one she had used to find him under the bridge where they had forgiven one another. She had needed three weeks to recuperate and, since she had given up her apartment at the time she had resigned from the ZPD, it was only logical she stay with family.

From the outside, it didn't look like it would be able to house all of Judy's siblings. However, Nick soon found out, looks could be deceiving - even when it came to houses. The front portion was built into a hill and while the entrance and hallway had a normal ceiling with a height that could easily accommodate a moose, the rest of the house took up the entire hill.

As he stared up in awe at the ascending circular stairway built along the inner circumference of the hill, he heard a small snort of laughter by his side and turned to face a buff and dun colored rabbit with topaz eyes staring at him. He was slightly shorter than Judy, Nick judged, but the family resemblance was not lost on him. He wasn't built like the other bunnies, however. The buck before him had a wide chest, muscular thighs, calves, biceps and triceps. A typical gymnast's body, he figured.

"Don't be too amazed," the young buck said to him with a smile, "this isn't as large as the other two houses dad built to house the rest of the family."

Nick's eyes grew as wide as saucers. "You mean, there are more than two hundred seventy-six of you?" he fearfully spluttered. His mind reeled as it went back to the day he had driven Judy to Bunnyburrow and he fleetingly remembered seeing a sign he hadn't paid much attention to at the time. He recalled a ridiculous number, which only registered in his brain now. "Wait, the Welcome sign at the border of Bunnyburrow said there were over eighty-one million of you over a year ago! How many rabbits are there now in Bunnyburrow?" Nick gasped, as he imagined being smothered in wall-to-wall fuzziness.

Both Judy and the buck snorted in laughter. "Oh dear, Dad's little joke gets the new visitors every time," Judy snickered.

"You mean there isn't going to be a Bunny Apocalypse?" Nick thankfully confirmed.

"No, silly! Dad convinced the town council to put up the population board as a practical joke. What it really does is count the number of seconds. Once it reaches a certain number, it rolls over and starts anew. But seriously, think of the resources we'd need in order to support that huge a population. We're farmers, not miracle workers," she countered.

"So why did your dad build two more houses?" Nick probed, frowning as he did. "This house could clearly fit at least three hundred bunnies comfortably," he marveled, craning his neck to see four more levels of living quarters connected by the gargantuan winding staircase built around the central kitchen designed to feed an army of bunnies. The center of the room had a revolving floor where seven tables, each one capable of seating ten bunnies, stood. "Although, I don't know how all of you eat at the same time since there's only room for seventy unless there's another dining hall underground?"

"Considering the cost of having to build another large dining hall like this underground, and ensuring against the possibility of it collapsing on itself, it made more sense if we ate and helped out in shifts," Bailey clarified. "This gives the rabbits manning the kitchen time to replenish the buffet area as well as for the helpers to clear up the dining area for the next batch. The logistics of trying to feed everyone at the same time would have been mind-boggling, to say the least."

Nick grasped the concept of Judy's family eating in shifts. One entered from the left, got food from the buffet area and sat at the nearest unoccupied spot. As soon as the revolving floor reached the same spot where you started from, you vacated it for the next bunny. It reminded him of the mess hall at the ZPA where, during his first month as a plebe, as a sort of initiation for all newcomers, they were only given five minutes to scarf down their breakfast else it got chucked into the garbage by overzealous elder cadets. "No wonder Judy eats so quickly," Nick realized.

"Nick, what do I keep telling you about bunnies?" Judy smiled as she snuggled in closer to her fox who sat there, absorbing the scenery.

"That you're good at…oh."

"Yep!" she said popping the 'p'. "Mom and Dad had all of us in their first fifteen years of marriage. You see, bunnies have an average litter size of six kits and mom was a regular baby-making machine, having an average of three litters a year. By the time I was nine-years old, the 'factory' had shut down and I'm not sure if mom was relieved or sad. Or a little of both," she wistfully mentioned. "Anyway, she had her paws full raising all of us but as my other siblings grew older and had families of their own, there wasn't enough room here to fit the second generation. The other two houses are of similar construction and are connected to the main house using underground tunnels. Now, mom has her paws full dealing with my younger nephews and nieces as they made this house the Central Dining Area." She then indicated the revolving floor built in the center. "Dad had to speed up the timing from when I was a young kit. It used to take thirty minutes for a full revolution but with a bigger population to feed, you have to finish your meal in twenty minutes or else you get booted from your seat by the next shift coming in to eat."

The young buck extended his paw to Nick. "By the way, I'm Bailey, Judy's younger brother from the fortieth litter," the young buck revealed as he smiled at him. Then, after a moment of uneasy hesitation, he turned his gaze to the ground, rubbing his neck in shame. "To tell you the truth, I'm surprised Judy even hooked up with a fox. I have nothing against your relationship, but I was two years old at the time Judy fought with Gideon and got scratched in the face for her efforts. But, seeing how happy she is with you," Bailey said as he looked up with a relieved smile, "makes me rather envious. One of these days, I hope to meet someone who'll love me even half as much as you do her, Nick."

"Gideon scratched you in the face? You never told me this," a shocked Nick asked of his mate, who suddenly seemed to find the opposite wall more interesting. "Judy?"

"You mean she never mentioned he slashed her cheek when she was nine years old?" frowned Bailey.

Suddenly, it dawned on Nick why Judy had reacted the way she had at the Press Conference when he had threatened her with his claws. He now felt ashamed for having resurrected what would have been a very traumatic childhood experience. At the same time, he wanted to find Gideon and punch the living daylights out of the other vulpine for daring to hurt his mate.

An angry growl rose from deep within his chest, which suddenly died as he saw angry amethyst eyes whirl upon him. "This is precisely why I didn't tell you, Nick! I knew you'd react that way. Males!" she huffed in anger, as she turned her head away.

Nick sighed in exasperation as he gently guided her chin so that he was looking directly into her disapproval-filled eyes. "Carrots, like it or not, I'm a fox and your mate. It's in my nature to want to protect those that I love. So," smirking as he kissed her nose making it twitch adorably, "unless you have a very good reason for me not to be an overly protective tod, especially with winter approaching, the feeling isn't going away soon."

Judy sighed as she relented. Pressing her head to his chest, she carefully wrapped her arms as much as she could around him. His stint at the Zootopia Police Academy had filled him out. Now, she could barely touch her paws together when she snuggled up to him. She could never stay mad at Nick for long. "I should have told you before, but I didn't want you to feel guilty about what you did at the Press Conference. That really was on me. I only realized then I had never let go of my prejudice and preconceptions. I had come to Zootopia to try to make a difference and I almost destroyed it because of my naiveté and narrow-mindedness. And I almost lost you," her voice quavered with emotion as tears formed in the corner of her eyes, "Because I was a dumb bunny from a hick town with preconceived notions."

Nick gently lifted her mouth to his, tenderly kissing her on the lips as he brushed away the tears. "Yet, you came back. To apologize. To look for me. No one ever did that for me. I'd say that wasn't being dumb. You, of all mammals, should not be blamed for what happened. Zootopia was a ticking time bomb; predator and prey were already at each other's throats, ready to explode at any moment. It was a perfect opportunity, and Bellwether exploited it. You should accept the mantle of hero because if you didn't stop her, a lot of predators, including myself, would probably be wearing a collar right now.

"And, to be honest," Nick continued as he cupped her cheek in his paw, feeling the scars that Gideon had left behind, "I shouldn't have acted like a jerk and walked out on you like that. I should have given you a chance to explain. I acted on impulse and raw emotion. I didn't care to even try to see the real you. Instead, I operated on my own preset opinions of who you were, of who most - if not all - prey were. Those were the most painful three months of my life.

"Judy," calling her name as he lifted her onto his lap, wrapping his tail around her and pressing his forehead to hers, "You are the bravest, strongest, most cunning mammal - with the exception of myself," laughing as he blocked her playful swat, "whom I have ever had the pleasure of meeting and falling in love with. I thank Karma and Serendipity that you came back to me."

"If we should be thanking anyone," Judy explained as she tried to squirm further into his chest, "it really should be Gideon. If it wasn't for him mentioning that _Midnicampum Holicithias_ is commonly known as Nighthowler, I never would have put two and two together. Plus, he's changed, Nick. He's no longer the bully he used to be. He's now a baker and even went into business with my Dad, using our blueberries to make the best blueberry pie you've ever tasted. He even apologized for slashing me back when we were kits. That's why I don't want you to be mad at him. I've buried the hatchet. He's now a friend," Judy mentioned, tilting her head, pleading with Nick using her big, soft, azure eyes. "I hope you'll be friends with him, too."

Nick groaned. "No fair, Carrots! Don't look at me like that!"

Judy continued to look at him with large, teary eyes; her ears lowered behind her head as she bit her lower lip. Nick surrendered in the end. " _She'll kill me with her adorable cuteness, one of these days_ ," he thought.

"Fine!" he huffed. "No promises, Carrots," Nick said as he rested his head between her ears, "But if he really makes blueberry pies as good as you describe, I'll try to make room in my heart for him."

"That's all I ask then," Judy said, contentedly smiling as she relished their close physical contact.

"Hey guys! Uncle Nick and Aunt Judy are in here! And they're in their motorized doohickey. C'mon! I wanna be the first to ride on it!"

A low rumble sounded inside the dining area as Nick felt a slight shaking of the ground. He hurriedly scanned his surroundings and froze at the sight of hundreds of cute fuzzballs heading directly for them as they came down the circular stairway. He whined in fear, wrapping his tail and arms around Judy, trying to protect her as he closed his eyes and braced for the impending onslaught of fluffiness.

* * *

"Hold it right there!"

Nick opened his eyes when he heard the young voice squeak out the stern command. He was amazed to find the _kerfluffle_ halted five feet from where he and Judy sat in their wheelchair. What was more amazing was seeing a runt of a chocolate colored bunny, who had one ear up at attention while the other seemed to unnaturally bend midway, had convincingly barked the command. He stood with one paw on his hip while the other was up in the air as if directing traffic.

"You heard what Meemaw said!" the young kit declared with authority. "No one jumps on Uncle Nick and Aunt Judy! They're still healing and if you jump on them, their wounds might get worse," he angrily reprimanded them as he stared down the fluffy mass before him.

"Aww, c'mon Zach!" spoke the leader of the group. "We've never seen anything like that wheelchair and we just wanna ride it," he pouted.

The little bunny fixed his eyes on the one who had just spoken. "Shut up, Gaston! Just because your dad's in the town council doesn't mean you call the shots around here," he huffed. "Meemaw's the law in these here parts, ' _pardner_ '. Move along if you don't want to get hurt." He stood in a gunslinger's stance, right paw hovering over an imaginary gun. "However, if you're looking for trouble, young fella, I'll be happy to accommodate you."

"Did he just quote John Mayne, Carrots?" Nick asked in disbelief.

"Shhh!" Judy shushed him with a small smile playing around her lips as she watched the drama unfold before them.

"Yeah?" challenged Gaston. "You and what army?" he sneered.

"Me," spoke Bailey as he stood next to Zach, "and the army of surveillance cameras." He pointed up to the ceiling where several were prominently installed. "Your Meemaw had them installed by your Aunt Violet precisely for situations like these," Bailey chuckled. "Don't make Meemaw angry. You wouldn't like her when she's angry." he gravely warned the group.

"Aw, c'mon! Now that's just plain stealing from the movie, _The Hul_ -" Nick began before Judy clamped her paw over his muzzle causing him to almost bite his tongue in the process.

"I swear, Nick," Judy angrily whispered, "if you don't shut up, I'm going to gag you with a spoon. We're missing the best part."

As Nick turned his eyes to the front, he swore he could hear the theme music from _The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly Coyote_ as the tension rose between the two sides. That is until Bailey turned to one of the cameras saying, "Vi, turn the damn soundtrack off! We can hardly hear ourselves over here."

The music cut off just as soon as it started.

Bailey turned back to focus on the horde of kits. "By now, your Aunt Violet has already alerted your Meemaw about this gathering and I estimate she should be here in about a minute or so. If she catches you guys here, she's surely going to send you all to bed without dessert. And I'm sure you guys don't want to miss out on Meemaw's carrot cake for dessert, now would we?"

Hearing that Bonnie was on her way, the bravado of Gaston and the others suddenly deflated and they disappeared as quickly as a popped soap bubble.

Nick had wondered what the cameras were for as soon as he had spotted them. It made sense now seeing as how Bonnie and Stu needed electronic eyes to monitor the comings and goings of the large number of rabbits in the warren. Very much like the way the hotel casino management monitored the behavior of their guests and employees. He pondered on how he could bribe Violet for some embarrassing video of Judy as a child.

"She won't give up any footage, Nick."

Nick whirled on his mate as she spoke up by his side. "How? I wasn't...I mean...that is-"

"Save it, Slick," she snickered, "Vi has a moral code much sterner than mine. As the warren's Chief Intelligence Officer, she takes her role very seriously and will not allow any breaches of privacy or shenanigans to occur without swiftly bringing it to my parents' attention.

"You're lucky that my mom is still going to show you my baby pictures," she grumbled as she internally cringed with embarrassment.

She then bent down to scoop up the tiny chocolate bunny in her arms as she gave him a hug. "Zach! You're my hero!" she declared as she nuzzled the kit in her arms.

"Aaw, shucks, ma'am. Tweren't nuthin'." yipped the little one as he held Judy's neck in a loving embrace. "Besides, I wasn't going to let those yella', lily-livered, no-good-varmints -"

"Zach!" Judy admonished him as she pulled him off her neck to stare at him sternly. "What did I say about swearing?"

Zach hung his head in shame. "That it's not nice, Aunt Judy."

She grinned at him. "Well…," she drawled, "I think I can forgive you this time. After all, you saved me and Nick from a fate worse than death," she chuckled. "And besides, I can't stay mad at my most favourite bunny of all," continuing to hug him tightly.

"Aunt Judy...can't...breathe…" Zach managed to gasp before Judy squeaked an apology.

* * *

"So, Carrots. Who's our young saviour?" Nick asked as he guided the motorized wheelchair over to the buffet area where he could smell the delicious aroma of pancakes wafting through the air.

Judy had Zach on her lap as she insisted he ride along with them as his reward for standing up to the _kerfluffle_. Bailey had left for his gymnastics practice but mentioned catching up with them afterwards. "Besides," the buck had mentioned, as he fondly eyed the chocolate bunny in Judy's lap just before he departed, "you're in good paws with Zach. I'd trust him with my life," he said chuckling.

"Nick, this is Zach. Zach, this is my mate, Nick. Zach is from one of my elder sister's first litter. He was born about ten years ago and was the runt of the litter. He's always been my favourite nephew because even though he had it rough fighting for his share of everything, he has this never-say-die attitude that kinda reminds me of me when I was younger."

"Pleased to meet you, Zach. That was a very brave thing you did back there. Weren't you scared at all?"

"Yes, I was scared, Uncle Nick. But Aunt Judy taught me that being brave isn't because you're not scared. Being brave means that you overcome that fear because someone you care for is going to be hurt. That's why she's my hero!" he affirmed, looking at Judy with stars in his eyes.

Nick's ear flicked involuntarily as Zach unknowingly lisped some of his words. He glanced over to Judy to see if she had caught it as well. She merely shrugged her shoulders as if to say, _he's young, he'll grow out of it._

"Say Zach, would you be a dear and get us a couple of plates?" she asked the little bunny. "I'm afraid we can't reach over the buffet line with us still in the wheelchair."

"I'd be happy to Aunt Judy!" Zach said as he hopped off her lap. However, he appeared to miscalculate and landed awkwardly, falling over as he did. However, just like any young mammal, he recovered quickly, bouncing back up on his two hind paws and seemed to be unhurt. "I'm okay!" he chirped.

A plain brown doe hurried over to them. "Zach! What did I say about being careful?" she worriedly scolded the little bunny.

"Aww, Aunt Lori, I didn't get hurt," he responded. "Besides, no bruises this time, see?" He turned to show off the side where he had fallen.

Lori only shook her head, smiling ruefully at the little bunny's enthusiasm. "Fine. But please be more careful the next time, okay?" she pleaded with her eyes.

"Sure, Aunt Lori! I'm going to go get plates for Aunt Judy and Uncle Nick. Be right back!" he said as he hopped away to the breakfast nook.

She sighed, as she turned to face Nick and Judy. "I swear, there will be more grey hairs on me than brown just worrying about him."

Her face brightened upon seeing the duo in their wheelchair and bounded over to them to give Judy a big hug. "So good to see you, sis! And is this the handsome devil you've been raving about in your texts?" she said smugly, eyeing Nick.

"Nick, this is Lori, Bailey's littermate. It's great to see you, too, Lori! You mean this scruffy thing I dragged along with me? Nah, don't want to inflate his ego. It's big enough already as it is," she giggled.

"Sure, Fluff, keep telling yourself that. Coz, that wasn't what you were saying last night in bed."

"Nicholas Wilde!" Judy squawked as she playfully hit him in the chest with the back of her paw. "Don't give my sister the wrong idea. There's no need to corrupt her."

"Anyway, Lori," turning back to her sister, "nothing happened in bed last night...yet. He'll soon find out why rabbits are good at multiplying. He won't know what hit him," she smirked as she slyly winked at her sister.

Nick's face fell at her words. "I'm dead. You're an evil bunny. Just put on my tombstone, ' _Here lies Nicholas Piberius Wilde. Death by snu-snu_.'" He dramatically collapsed back into the chair, eyes glazed and tongue hanging out.

Judy laughed as she tried to catch his tongue but Nick quickly whipped it out of her reach and grabbed her as he began licking her face.

She squealed with laughter as she tried to push him away while covering her face with her paw.

"Niiiiiick! Stop! I surrender!" she squeaked mirthfully.

He stopped bathing her with his tongue but continued to hold her while he nuzzled her playfully. "So, is my cute little bunny ready for breakfast? I know I am. And if I don't get something soon, I may end up eating her," he grinned as he teasingly snapped his teeth close to her ear.

Judy blushed hotly at the innuendo while smiling like a Cheshire cat back at him. "You better be able to back that up, Mister!" grabbing his shirt front to pull his face closer so that their noses touched. "I hope you're not all talk," she suggestively said with half-lidded eyes as she rubbed her nose on his.

"Guys!" Lori pleaded as she fanned herself with her paw. "Can you please tone it down? There are kits present. And besides, if you don't stop, I might have a heat stroke."

Their laughter was cut short by the sound of plates crashing.

"Oh, dear. I better go over and see what's happened to Zach. I swear he's getting clumsier by the day," Lori mentioned as she quickly hopped over to the breakfast nook.

* * *

After breakfast was over, Nick and Judy made their way down the halls and rode up to Judy's room where she and Nick would be sleeping for the duration of their stay in Bunnyburrow. Judy's old bed had been replaced with a bigger one that would accommodate the two of them.

Nick appreciated the fact that Judy's parents had gone all out to make him feel welcome and at ease. Bonnie had made it very clear that she was quite happy to have him as part of their family and although he had been thrown for a loop when she had mentioned marriage, he admitted to himself that he had been thinking more and more about the topic and of starting a family of their own.

" _Maybe we can ask the doctor about any medical updates regarding interspecies couples being able to have kits of their own_." Nick thought.

Nick felt more at ease after his conversation with Bonnie. However, he still had his concerns with Stu, who had not been around when they had arrived. He was aware that Stu would always consider Judy as his little girl and would always give any suitor or potential mate a hard time. What complicated things was the fact that he was a fox, the natural enemy of bunnies back in prehistoric times. He vowed to be on his best behavior while in Bunnyburrow in order to get on the good side of the older buck.

The rabbit in question happened to walk in the front door just as Nick and Judy were unpacking their things in their room. Stu had seen the helicopter arrive and had wanted to be there to greet his daughter and the fox but he had had to attend to the hydroponics system which had broken down earlier in the day. As he walked in, he wiped his hind paws thoroughly on the welcome mat to remove any mud. Bonnie would tan his hide if he tracked any debris onto her pristine floors.

"Hey, Bonnie! Where are Nick and Judy?" He asked as he scanned the dining area while coming up behind his wife to plant a kiss on her cheek. He held her around the waist as he nuzzled her neck. "Mmm...sure smells good. And I don't mean the cooking," he laughed.

"Hush, Stu! Not in front of the _kerfluffle_ ," she giggled as she caressed his cheek while his mouth worked wonders on her neck. Even after thirty years, he still knew how to please her. "They went down to Judy's room to unpack. Why don't you go say hello to your daughter and her mate?"

"Mate? Since when-" he spluttered in surprise.

"Not sure," Bonnie said matter-of-factly as she returned her attention to her cooking, "I noticed they were wearing Promise Rings and could smell their scents on each other. I've never seen Judy happier and I can tell Nick is head over heels in love with her."

Stu frowned at the idea of Judy and Nick becoming mates and sleeping together. He had wanted separate beds for the two of them but Bonnie had firmly put her hind paw down with the added threat of his sleeping on the couch for a whole month.

"Stu," she had patiently explained to him, "you saw the way she was clinging to Nick at the hospital. Do you think she'll stay in her own bed once they're alone? Given that they're still recovering, they'd be more comfortable in a larger bed."

Even though he had apologized to the fox at the hospital and had extended an invitation for him to stay in Bunnyburrow while they recuperated, Judy was still his little girl. And like any father, he was still very protective of his children.

"Did you read the riot act to them, like I asked?" he said.

Bonnie sighed. "I did, however, when my father told you to keep your paws off me until the wedding night, did you listen?" she chimed back. "Stu, she's a bunny for Serendipity's sake!"

"Still," grumbled the older buck, "doesn't mean they shouldn't be told again. In fact, I think I'll go down there just in case they're messing around," stomping away with a huff.

Bonnie rolled her eyes at her husband as she sighed. She instructed one of her children to take over the cooking while she followed him just so he wouldn't make a fool of himself.

As Stu made his way to Judy's room, he passed by the locked gun closet and took out his shotgun. " _Just in case I need to make a point_ ," he thought. As he neared her room, he could hear them with a rabbit's natural enhanced sense of hearing.

Nick: " _Judy, I think I'm stuck." (Sound of grunting.) "Yeah, it's definitely stuck_."

Judy: " _Well, it's definitely bigger now than it was before you put it in_."

Nick: " _I guess I have no choice but to wait for the swelling to go down before I can take it out_."

Judy: " _I might have some lotion that will help it to slip out but I'm in a happy place right now. Can you reach for it in my bag?_ "

Nick: " _Let me see if I can." (More grunts.) "Yup, got it!_ "

Judy: " _Next time, put some on before you put it in, that way_ -"

Wide-eyed and in shock, Stu couldn't stand to hear any more. He immediately barged into their room without knocking, Bonnie closely following on his hind paws.

"You two are having sex!" he yelled, face livid with anger as he leveled the shotgun at the fox whom he thought was defiling his daughter. He was prepared to run him out of Bunnyburrow with an angry mob, complete with pitchforks and torches. However, what he saw drew him up short with embarrassment.

Nick was sitting on the edge of the bed, his face frozen in fear as he was trying to remove his shirt and it was apparent his right arm was stuck in the shirt sleeve. Judy was seated, hind paws crossed, on the opposite side of the bed with a book in her paw, still fully clothed. She looked at her father at first with surprise then with a look that could curdle cream.

"Gosh, Nick. If you had told me we were having sex then I would have put my book down," she said sarcastically, a steel edge to her voice.

Stu, face blushing hotly, tried to back away from his daughter's evil eye glare as he muttered something about checking on the laundry and immediately scampered away down the hall.

Bonnie apologized as she left the room. "Sorry about that Judy. You know how overprotective and thick-headed your father can be at times. I'll lock the door so you can have your privacy. Nice pecs and abs, Nick!" she called back as she closed the door.

Nick tried to breathe again once Stu left the room however his heart was still pounding away furiously as he struggled to compose himself, whining as the edges of a panic attack crept up on him.

Judy heard his whine and noticed his ragged breathing. She picked up his accelerated heartbeat with her ears and rushed over to his side. The doctor had warned her there might be a few episodes of PTSD since this was the second time Nick had been shot. He had given her directions on how to care for him if it did occur. She quickly came around to his side of the bed and stood between his legs as she put both of her paws on his muzzle, forcing him to look directly into her eyes.

"Breathe with me Nick!" she commanded softly. "Focus on my voice. You're safe with me. There's no gun in the room. But do you want to go outside instead?"

Somehow Nick managed to hear her through the fog of his attack and shook his head slightly.

"Okay, Nick. I'm going to count backwards from twenty and I want you to follow my breathing. Twenty…"

Nick inhaled and exhaled just as Judy did, following her lead. As he did, he also inhaled her scent which helped to calm him down, his heart no longer threatening to burst through his chest. By the time she had counted down to one, he was feeling much better but was very much disheartened by Stu's reaction.

Judy wrapped her arms around his neck, comforting him as he hung his head, ears flat against it. She helped him get his arm out of his shirt and made him lie down on the bed. She then reached into her night bag and took out the special grooming brush she had bought as a surprise. She ran the brush through his chest fur, taking care to avoid the wounded area on his chest. She then started on his neck fur, and as she did, she could hear him purring his approval. She made him turn over as she continued grooming him, paying special attention to his tail.

"Fluff, you are so good to me! I really don't deserve you," he groaned in happiness.

"Nicholas Wilde!" Judy scolded, "I will not have that kind of self-deprecating talk from you. You have nothing to be ashamed of."

She crawled up the bed so Nick could lay his head on her lap while she scratched behind his ears. She was rewarded by the vigorous wagging of his tail. "You are a good mammal, Nick," she gently continued, knowing he tended to put himself down, a by-product of his years living on the streets. "You believed in me when no one else did. You stood up to Bogo for me. And even though I hurt you, you forgave me and showered me with more love that I ever thought possible from any mammal. You're kind, sweet, funny, and courageous."

"Don't forget 'handsome'," he chuckled, defusing the situation as always with humor.

"I didn't forget, sweetie," laughing while stroking his head. "And no one gets to treat you like dirt. Not while I have something to say about it.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked while continuing to stroke his head.

Nick shrugged. "Nothing to talk about. There was a gun. I froze. I'm better now."

"Nick," she pleaded, "if we're going to become a couple, you need to open up to me more. I won't judge you. But, you have to be able to talk to me and tell me what's wrong. I can't keep guessing. You were there for me when I needed you. Now, let me help you. Please."

He sighed. He knew that it was important not to hide things between them. The fact that she had to beg to get him to open up made him hate himself all the more. He rolled over so that he was looking at her and the pain he saw in her eyes made up his mind for him. He never wanted to see that look again, knowing that he was the source of her hurt. He reached up to caress her cheek.

"Judy, I'm sorry. I shouldn't make you have to beg for me to open up to you. It's just that twenty years of keeping things to myself is a hard habit to break. But, I promise I'll make an effort to be more open, at least with you."

"Silly fox," she said, beaming, "I don't expect you to pour out your life story in one night. But when you're hurting inside, I'd like you to share it with me so that we can work through it together. As a couple. As a team."

He nodded, realizing how lucky he was to have her in his life. He thanked the deities of Karma and Serendipity for bringing them together that one fateful day in Jumbeaux' Ice Cream Shoppe.

"I guess I should start with my panic attacks. Remember when I said I had been hustling since I was twelve? Can you imagine what it's like for a twelve-year-old to be all alone on the streets? I barely survived my first night and almost returned home except the memory of my poor mother crying her eyes out over the bills she had to pay made me determined to become the breadwinner of the family. My father had been dead for five years by then and she was always struggling to keep a roof over our head. Foxes weren't trusted back then and the prejudice is still alive to this day. She couldn't get a good paying job and ended up as a waitress in a diner. Even there, she had a difficult time as some customers refused to be served by a fox and would ask the owner for another mammal to serve them." Nick recounted emptily. "The night I left, she had just been let go by the owner because mammals weren't coming in to eat because of her. It broke my heart that she was being treated unfairly. I decided to leave so that she would have one less mouth to feed while I tried to earn enough to send money her way.

"It wasn't all sunshine and roses. In the beginning, it wasn't too bad as there were quite a few who took pity on me because I was a kit. But as I grew older, it became harder and harder to even make fifty dollars a day. When I bragged to you that I made two hundred dollars a day for the last twenty years, that was an exaggeration. In fact, the pawpsicle scam was one of the few times we made that much profit and only because you made it happen when you stepped in to intercede with Jumbeaux. It was worse during winter as mammals were always in a rush to be somewhere and had no change to spare especially during the holidays. Since I couldn't afford to pay rent, I slept over the city gratings that expelled the excess heat into the air. There were times I had to fight for the space and if I lost out, then I would end up riding the monorail till morning trying to avoid the cops patrolling the line."

"Why didn't you stay in the city shelters?" Judy asked, heartbroken that he had to endure a lot of suffering as a kit when he should have been enjoying his teenage years bonding with friends. "I'm sure they would have taken you in."

Nick snorted in derision. "Hello, fox here? The shelters housed mostly prey animals who were uncomfortable with a hungry predator in their midst. Not only that, but most of those shelters were dangerous places. There were mammals there that should have been in a mental institution or prison. You could get robbed of your belongings. Most of them were filled with drugs and drug dealers. And don't get me started on the bed bugs and fleas."

Judy noticed he had mentioned going hungry and recalled the first time she had met Nick. He had appeared much thinner than the average fox for his age and his fur had been pretty scruffy. She remembered his stealing some blueberries from the fruit vendor's stall when she had confronted him about the pawpsicle scam. And when she had found him under the bridge, he had been sipping only on a Snarlbucks drink. Plus, when she had hung onto him for support at the museum, she had felt his ribs sticking out underneath his fur.

The Community Collaboration classes during her training in the ZPA had touched on many of the problems faced by the homeless: mortality and unintentional injuries, musculoskeletal disorders and chronic pain, hunger and nutrition, infectious diseases, dental problems, respiratory illnesses, chronic diseases and disorders, and lastly mental health issues. Nick's health and hunger issues struck deep emotional chords as she could not imagine herself going hungry or without a roof over her head to call her own. She was glad she had looked into his eating habits to ensure he had been eating well the last eighteen months whenever they were together. His new cooking skills were a clear testament that he had overcome his issues with food. Her worry was what future health issues would crop up because he had not been eating properly the last twenty years. She was determined to read up on what could be done to prevent them from occurring to her fox.

"The city shelters were mostly large warehouses converted into sleeping quarters with poor ventilation and plumbing," Nick continued. "The mammals in charge of maintenance either knew very little about mass housing or else were pocketing the funds. Given the state of the shelters, I knew a lot of homeless mammals who felt safer sleeping out in the streets, myself included.

"The panic attacks happened quite a lot in the beginning and I had to deal with them on my own. As time passed, I learnt to avoid the stressors causing the panic attacks. However, that was the first attack in quite a while."

"Then, I'm glad I was here to help you, dumb fox." Judy lovingly professed as she scritched him under the chin.

"As long as I'm the one and only dumb fox in your life," he purred, enjoying her blunt claws on his chin, "I can live with that."

"So, what did you do with the money you made?"

"I would leave it in my mom's purse the few times I would visit her. She never got mad at me for running away but I could see in her eyes that she wanted me to come back and stay. I'd sleep over a few days but I'd sneak out and continue hustling as she still needed my help to make ends meet. She had recently landed a well-paying job so the last time I visited, she chewed me out when she caught me leaving money for her. She wanted me to start spending the money for myself or saving it for when I finally settled down.

"Our apartment is one of the few luxuries I've allowed myself after twenty years once I started working for the ZPD. Also, to tell you the truth, I was secretly hoping you'd become my roommate once we started working together so I wanted to make sure that I had a presentable place for you," he confessed.

"If I remember correctly, I was the one who asked you if we could be roommates," she laughed. "You acted so cool and nonchalant about it."

Nick shrugged again, but this time he tried to hide the embarrassment from his face. "I was actually waiting for you to make the first move. With foxes, it's the vixen who decides who will be their mate. So, when you came to me while I was napping and fell asleep in my arms back in the Nap Room, despite the fact Bogo could have fired both of us on the spot, I knew you had chosen me."

Judy blushed at the memory, but looking back, it had seemed only natural to have curled up in his arms. She had sorely missed him during the traumatic week Bogo had separated them as partners. She had not been able to sleep when Bogo had announced he was going to look for different partners for them. The thought of not having Nick by her side had made her realize that she had fallen in love with him. So, when she had found him alone in the Nap Room fast asleep, she had cuddled up into his chest without a second thought.

"You better not make me regret it, Slick," she teased. "Or else I'm going to be wearing a new fox fur coat for your funeral."

"Ouch. You wound me to the core, madam," feigning outrage as he placed his paw on his chest. "Besides, that's rather speciesist of you, assuming I'd be nothing more than a sly fox, trying to get my way with a cute little bunny."

"It's speciesist only if **I** say so, foxy. And don't call me cute," she said, teasingly booping his nose.

Crinkling his nose in pleasure as her scent filled his nasal cavity, he grinned. "What about adorable, alluring, appealing, beautiful, bewitching, captivating, classy, enthralling, enticing, gorgeous, lovely-"

His brain stopped working the moment her lips touched his. "That'll do, fox," she breathlessly chuckled after, "that'll do."

She made Nick take his pain medication and lay down with him till he fell asleep. As soon as he did, she left the room to look for her parents.

* * *

Judy found Stu and Bonnie in the main dining room where most of her siblings who had met Nick earlier in the day, including Bailey and Lori, were gathered. She wasn't surprised as news travelled fast inside the warren. Judy marched up to her father who was wringing his paws as he sat next to Bonnie. She could see he was a bit distraught but the fact that he had pointed a gun at her mate steeled her resolve to finally have it out once and for all with her father.

She stood in front of her father, her fists on her hips, angrily thumping her right hind paw. "Dad, do you know how many laws you just broke tonight? Invasion of privacy. Assaulting a Police Officer. Making criminal threats," as she ticked them off while continuing to glare at him. "And carrying a loaded gun in front of your grandkits? Seriously? What if it went off by accident and you hit one of them? Could you have lived with that?"

"In my defense," Stu objected meekly, "the gun wasn't loaded. I just brought it along with me to scare him."

"And why would you do that!" she screamed at him. "Nick is the kindest, sweetest mammal around and I'm in love with him! What did he ever do to you to warrant such harassment? Don't think I've forgotten your verbal threat to shoot him before."

"Well...you're my daughter and he's a fox-"

"That's the point, isn't it? It's because he's a fox! If he was some other species, we wouldn't be having this conversation." she seethed.

"Now hold on, young lady!" Stu objected hotly. "This is still my house and you can't talk to me that way. I thought you two were having at it like rabbits even though your mother warned you not to."

"Respect is a two-way street, Dad. If you wanted it, you could have shown me and Nick some courtesy by talking it out instead of barging in on us. Sweet cheese and crackers, what if I had my service pistol on me! I'm trained to take down perps for a living and I could have shot you out of reflex."

"Stu! Judy! Enough!" Bonnie waded into the full-blown yelling match before it got out of hand. "The grandkits are still around and I don't want them hearing you fighting. Now," as she beckoned Judy to sit next to her, "let's talk this out once and for all like adults. And Stu?" eyeing the older buck, "you're going to get rid of the shotgun immediately as well as any anti-fox equipment that you have."

"But Bonnie," Stu protested weakly, "I got a sweet deal on that fox taser and-"

"Would you rather spend the night in jail? I'll call the sheriff myself this instant and Judy can press charges," as she raised an eyebrow threateningly.

"Look here, Dad. I've seen Nick and Judy together," Bailey stepped in. "It's very clear they're in love with each other. And from what I've heard, he's saved her life more than once. Why are you against their being mates?"

"It's just not natural!" Stu exclaimed, slamming his paw on the table. "Bunnies are supposed to be with bunnies so that they can make more bunnies! It's the way it's always been!"

"Times are changing, Dad," the young buck explained. "What if I were to tell you that I don't find female rabbits attractive?"

Stu grew wide-eyed at his son's disclosure. "Are you saying you're gay?"

Bailey groaned as he face-pawed himself. "No, dad. I like females. I just don't have the natural rabbit urge to copulate with the opposite lapine sex."

Stu waved his paw in dismissal. "You just haven't found the right doe yet."

"Well, since everyone's coming out of the closet..." smirked Lori, "Dad, I'm bi."

"You're by what?" the confused older buck asked.

Lori rolled her eyes. "I'm bisexual meaning to say I'm attracted to both males and females. You know? AC/DC, ambisextrous, flexible, open-minded, a switch-hitter, equal opportunity lover, cross-platform compatible, playing for both teams, my door swings both ways, I like my brownies with or without nuts. And I'm not the only LGBTQ rabbit in the household."

Stu's ears shot up in shock and surprise. "What's an LGBTQ?"

"LGBTQ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer, Dad," Lori said, pleased at being able to jolt her father out of his complacency.

Stu turned to Bonnie in dismay. "Hun, did you know about this?"

"Stu, if you took your head out of your tail once in a while, you'd have noticed not all of our children have the same sexual orientation. Although, to be fair, it was natural for most of them to come to me since you were quite busy with running the farm. Why, I even helped some of our male cross-dressers buy their slinky lingerie online," Bonnie remarked. "Besides, with two hundred seventy-six children, we were bound to get the whole sexual spectrum."

"There's another thing, Dad," Bailey interjected. "Interspecies romance may soon become the new black. Some of our siblings who work with Gideon have seen him and Sharla, Judy's sheep friend from school, secretly holding paws when she's been over to his bakeshop."

"Huh," Judy commented, "I wonder when that started."

"From what they told me, it started just after you left to go back to Zootopia to solve the Nighthowler case. You may have made more of an impression on him than you thought."

"That still doesn't make your relationship with that fox right! And there are mammals out there who think the same way I do. I won't have my daughter attacked just because she's in love with a predator," Stu butted in.

"You do know that's considered a hate-crime in Zootopia, Dad?" Judy wearily argued. "After the whole Nighthowler fiasco, laws were passed banning anti-species comments. Any violent act motivated by species, sexual, or other prejudice was classified as such.

"You don't know Nick at all, Dad. What he's been through. It's unfair to lump him under an outdated stereotype perpetuated by our ancestors without getting to know him better. Did you know he stood up to Bogo just as I was about to hand in my badge? He was the only one in Zootopia that believed that I could make a difference when we were trying to solve the Missing Mammal case. He may have been a pain in the tuckus when I first met him but since then he's never scoffed at my dreams or thought that I was crazy for wanting to be a police officer. He's supported me every step of the way... unlike some mammals I know who thought I couldn't make it as a cop from the very beginning.

"I'm beginning to regret coming home," Judy grumbled as she rubbed her temples as Bonnie rubbed her back consolingly, "especially if my mate isn't welcome here. We'll stay the night so he can rest but tomorrow, Nick and I will take the train back to Zootopia. And we're not coming back until you change your mind about him," glaring at her father.

"You can't do that, Judy," Nick said as he emerged from the doorway in the wheelchair, eyes still groggy from sleep, "they're your family. Don't cut them off because of me."

"Nick," she bounded immediately over to his side, "you should be resting. And, why shouldn't I?" she complained. "He doesn't approve of you because you're a fox."

"I couldn't sleep without you next to me. Besides, I heard the arguing. He's only concerned for your safety, Carrots."

"I'm perfectly capable of handling myself. Besides, with you there, I know you have my back just as I have yours. And it doesn't make it right anyway. He or any other mammal shouldn't judge you because of your species."

"Like you said, Fluff, he doesn't know me. You haven't told him much about me and if I were in his paws, I'd feel the same way."

"It wasn't my place to tell them about your past, Nick. You deserve your privacy. He should at least trust my judgement and how I feel about you."

"Mr. Hopps," the tod said turning to the patriarch of the clan, "as your daughter's mate, I apologize for not asking if I could date your daughter. Let me amend that starting now.

"My name is Nicholas Piberius Wilde, son of John and Marian Wilde. My late father was a tailor and the name of his shop was _Wilde Style_. When I was seven years old, my father was killed during a robbery attempt just as he was closing up the shop." He heard Bonnie gasp in surprise and she clucked in sympathy at his ill-fortune. He focused on his story, trying to hold back the tears over the loss of his father; something he had yet to fully process after all these years.

"My mother tried to eke out a living as a waitress in a diner but was treated unfairly only because she was a vixen. When I was twelve years old, I ran away from home so I would not be a burden to my mom who had just been fired from her job. I lived on the streets for close to twenty years, hustling other mammals out of their money so that I could take care of her. Society has always had it out for foxes so I could never get a decent job. I was alone, homeless and scared for my mother.

"Then, an idealistic bunny showed up one day and disrupted the tediousness and emptiness of my life. She made me believe again that I could make something of myself, if I only tried. With her by my side, I could do anything. Even fall in love with her," as he softly grasped Judy's paw in his, intertwining their digits. "She made me feel again. I used to not let things get to me after I was bullied by prey animals when I was young. She broke through my walls and found the young idealistic fox that had been hiding there the last twenty years. That amazing beautiful bunny showed this tod that that event need not define him for the rest of his life. That there were many new things which could bring happiness again into his life, especially if there was someone to share the joy with.

"I used to wake up in the mornings dreading the day. Trying to come up with a quick score and then finding a place to safely sleep just so I could get up again the next day to repeat the same routine. There were times I wanted to quit but I persevered because of my mom.

"Now, I look forward to each new day because it means that I'll be spending my time with Carrots, laughing with her, making her laugh at my corny jokes, observing each and every little movement: from the way her nose twitches when she's deep in thought, to the way her ears would go up when she's surprised or how adorable she looks when she's asleep. Before we started living together, I would find any excuse to be with her longer. I'd ask her to have dinner with me so we could continue talking about a case. Maybe have a drink afterwards to unwind. Or I'd invite her to watch a movie together. I even offered to help her with her paperwork because that meant I got to be with her even though we didn't talk. When I went to bed, she was always the last thought in my mind before I fell asleep and the first when I awoke. Now that we're mates, I can't imagine her not being there beside me. She is the very air I breathe, my sun, moon and stars. She is my whole universe.

"Mr. Hopps," lifting his head to look at Stu as he extended his paw to the older buck, "I apologize for not asking you sooner but would you allow this reynard the honour of dating your daughter even though he has nothing to offer her but his undying love and devotion?"

Nick suddenly found a grey bunny trying to burrow into his chest, chirring happily as tears fell from her eyes as she nudged her muzzle underneath his chin, nibbling and licking his neck fur. He grasped her tightly to himself while wrapping his tail around her, allowing himself the luxury of basking in her love.

As he looked around the room, it appeared that she wasn't the only one teary-eyed. Even the gruff old buck seemed to be busy dabbing his eyes with his bandana. " _Bunnies, so emotional_ ," he fondly thought as he cradled his mate.

Stu cleared his throat, unprepared for the openness and honesty of the tod. He had always been of the mind that foxes were always up to no good, with the exception of Gideon, who seemed to be a bit slow in the noggin. And although he was a great business partner, he had never thought of him as anything more than that.

Now, his very upbringing and beliefs were being challenged by a fox whose only fault was to love his daughter and make her the happiest he had ever seen. He felt bad for the raw deal that had been handed to the fox and yet he respected Nick now all the more considering that, with all he had been through, he had been able to turn his life around for the better. All thanks to his daughter… who was shamelessly trying to embed herself into her fox.

Suddenly, he felt a tugging on his pants and he looked down to see Zach, looking up at him trying his best not to cry. "Pawpaw, a-a-are you going to send Uncle Nick a-a-away? If you do, tha-tha-that'll make Aunt Judy sa-sa-sad. A-a-and I don't want to see her c-c-crying. N-n-not like the last time. She was so sad, Pawpaw. A-a-are you mad at Uncle Nick?"

Stu felt his heart sink at the memory. Judy had come home unexpectedly over a year-and-a-half ago, ears drooping, suitcase in her paws and with tears in her eyes. It had been a month since her disastrous appearance at the news conference where she had inadvertently blamed the cause of the missing predators going savage on their genetic disposition. She had locked herself up in her room and had refused to come out to join the family for over a week. When she did make an appearance, she was no longer the bright, cheerful, optimistic go-getter she once was. It was as if the spark was gone and she was merely going through the motions, like one of those Hopping Dead zombies. Both he and Bonnie had attempted to get her to open up to them. They were afraid for her. Her mental state troubled him and he had approached a rabbit psychologist for advice. Having fragile constitutions, rabbits were known to keel over for any number of reasons ranging from sudden loud noises to complications from pregnancy. During that time, he and Bonnie were afraid they would wake up one morning to find her lifeless body.

Seeing her now with Nick was like night and day. The brightness in her eyes, the sounds of happiness and contentment coming from her, the way she stood up for him. And not to mention, the special scent emanating from her that he knew all too well that a doe gave off when in the presence of her mate.

Stu sighed as he caught the glare from Bonnie who directed him with a nod of her head to approach the pair who were in their own little world. He had realized he had been a speciesist moron from the beginning. Squaring his shoulders, he stood up from the table and approached the couple in the wheelchair.

"Welcome to the family...son."


	7. The Foundation - Part Two

Disclaimer: All characters are owned by ©Disney. Any resemblance to actual persons or mammals, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The following OCs belong to their respective creators: Violet belongs to VariableMammal; Dr. Dave Hawthorne belongs to eng050599; Bailey and Lori belong to Selaxes; Jasmine and Juniper belong to DancingLunarWolves.

Author's notes: My apologies to those who have been following my stories. A recent development in my life hampered my ability to overcome my writer's block. As I had mentioned in my previous chapter, this was meant to be released in March, the month The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada celebrates how it has impacted the lives of young children by granting nearly 25,000 wishes over thirty years. I started writing a chapter in February and it quickly blew up into five more chapters. I wanted to release all five at once as they are all related to the same idea but RL issues had to take a front seat. Updates will be sporadic until such time I have ironed out my personal issues. I thank all my readers for their patience with me.

Again, many thanks to my editors who have contributed and helped me churn this story out: DancingLunarWolves , stubat007, eng050599, and NightWolf0179

* * *

As Stu approached the pair in the wheelchair, Judy continued to shamelessly nuzzle Nick, overcome by his emotional confession of his love for her in front of her parents and most of her siblings. She was grateful that most of her family members respected her decision and accepted their relationship. As for the rest...well, she and Nick would take it one day at a time. After all, they had several weeks of enforced medical leave in Bunnyburrow before they headed back to Zootopia to resume their official duties once the doctor gave them clearance.

She realized that her father had been standing beside them for some time after he had reluctantly coughed into his paw in order to catch their attention. She peeked out from Nick's chest fur, slightly blushing because of her sudden public display of affection, but defiantly staring him down, silently daring him to attempt uttering another speciesist remark.

Stu sighed, knowing that he had brought it upon himself, however, he was a rabbit who knew when he was licked and wanted to mammal up to his mistakes.

"Nick...Judy...I'd like to apologize...again...for my earlier remarks and attitude. It was wrong of me to pre-judge him just because he's a fox. I...I hope that you'll both find it in your heart to forgive me.

"Nick, I can see that despite all you've been through, you've always put the mammals that you love first. You've been there for Judy and supported her even though we didn't." He wrung the cap in his paws in shame. "That says a lot about you. And you were always there to protect her when I wasn't around. As a father, I will forever be grateful for that." As usual, Stu struggled with his emotions, but he pushed through. "I'm very proud to know you and," wiping a tear from his eye, "you both have our blessings." Stu said, as he tentatively reached out a paw towards the reynard.

Nick reached out with his free paw and firmly shook the old buck's. "The honour is mine, Mr. Hopps. I lost my father. I didn't want her to lose you...especially over someone like me."

"Nick," Judy chastised him, "stop that. I've said it once and I'm going to keep saying it. You're worth fighting for."

"Agreed," added Bonnie as she stepped into their circle and gently hugged the embarrassed fox. "No child of mine is allowed to speak ill of themselves. Now, why don't you both go back to your room and get some rest? I believe that's why you were sent here, hmm?"

Nick, taken aback by Bonnie's words, was uncharacteristically silent as his brain tried to process what she had just said. "Y-y-you'd consider me as one of your own? A predator?"

"Of course!" she smiled warmly. "Ever since she got back on the force, I've known that she was head over paw in love with you. She could never stop talking about you. It was always, 'Nick did this, Nick did that.' As a mother of 276 bunnies, it's second nature for me. However, she needed to realize it herself. The hospital incident merely confirmed what I knew all along. Unlike my dumb, silly rabbit of a husband, over here," she chuckled as she pinched Stu's cheek affectionately.

"Okay, okay," the older buck grumbled, "no need to rub salt in it." He straightened his shoulders, stuck his thumbs in his suspenders and puffed out his chest. "Son-and I mean that from the bottom of my heart-welcome to the family!"

The moment Stu made the formal announcement, the collective breath of Judy's siblings was released and most of them erupted into cheers. At least those that she could see through her moist eyes as she left Nick's side to embrace her father. Nick found he had his own issue in fighting off tears as Bonnie came to stand by the wheelchair and caught him up in a hug as warm as the sun. All his life, Nick had wanted to be part of a pack, which is what prompted him to attempt to join the Scouts, but their bigotry and hatred for predators had soured his outlook in life. But now, with Judy's family accepting him as one of their own, he couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with happiness. Hugging her back, he whispered, "Thank you, Bonnie."

She released Nick, moisture in her eyes as well. "You'll be fine. And I know you're going to take care of my bun-bun."

He nodded in reply as she went to join Stu and Judy. He managed to crack a grin as Bailey approached to offer a paw-bump.

"Welcome to the Hopps family, fox-bro!"

"Thanks for sticking up for me, dude. You, too, Lori," Nick said, acknowledging her support as she reached over to give him a hug.

"Well, I just couldn't stand by and let the two mammals who gave me the courage to come out be disrespected," she beamed. "Us weird ones gotta stick together," she snickered, winking at Nick.

"Unca Nick!"

"Hey, Zach, come on up here and give your fox uncle a big hug." he grinned as he reached down to lift the small chocolate bunny onto his lap.

"I'm guh-guh-glad Pawpaw isn't muh-muh-mad at you anymore, Unca Nick!" stammered the young bunny as he hugged the reynard's neck.

"Me, too, squirt."

"Yuh-yuh-you're not leaving anymore, ruh-ruh-right?"

"Not until your aunt and I get better. And your special hugs will definitely help me get better faster."

"Wuh-wuh-why would I want you to guh-guh-get better faster, Unca Nick?" queried the young bunny innocently. "Th-th-that just means you'll luh-luh-leave us sooner. I duh-duh-don't want you ever to luh-luh-leave!" he gushed as he tightened his hold on the tod's neck.

Nick chuckled at the young bunny's emotional outburst and squeezed him back fondly. "Now, Zach, your aunt and I have very important jobs back in Zootopia protecting innocent mammals. If we don't go back, then they could end up getting hurt by criminals and that would make us sad."

The young chocolate bunny thought about what Nick said and slowly nodded. "I uh-uh-understand, Unca Nick. I wuh-wuh-won't be suh-suh-selfish."

"That's my little trooper. Hey, tell you what," as he took off his tie and hung it around Zach's neck. "Here's my favourite tie. Can you keep watch over it for me? Until I come back, that is?"

Zach's smile lit up the room. "Shu-shu-sure thing, Unca Nick! I'll tuh-tuh-take care of it real swell!"

Nick suddenly felt a pair of soft paws running through his tail and he smiled, guessing it was Judy coming to claim her 'property'. He chuckled before turning around. "At least have the decency to buy me dinner first, Carro-"

The joke died in his throat. He was startled to be looking at a pair of green eyes belonging to an off-white rabbit. She was wearing a black off-shoulder cocktail dress cut to mid-thigh and displaying a lot more cleavage than was proper.

"Well, now...what do we have here? What's a sexy fox like you doing in a place like this, hmmm?" her sultry voice said as she continued to run her paws through his tail. He stiffened at the inappropriate groping and invasion of his personal space. She could have passed as Judy with makeup on. However, the offender with the sticky paws did not smell like her at all. In fact, she reeked of beer and cigarettes. He quickly whipped his tail out of the paws of the culprit and glared at her.

"Hi there, big boy," she husked at him, one paw on her hip and another behind her head as she seductively winked an eye at him, "you come here often?" she chuckled. "Why don't you and I get better acquainted? My room is just down-"

" _Jasmine Hopps!"_ yelled Judy as she rushed to Nick's side, "You get away from my mate, you...you... _Jezebel!_ "

"Oh, please," said the doe as she rolled her eyes, "I was just having a little fun. You're such a stick-in-the-mud. And you really should update your material, dear littermate," she cooed. "You sound so...eighteenth century!"

"I'll show you where to shove that stick-"

"Ahem! Carrots," Nick quickly interrupted as he immediately placed his paws over Zach's ears. "Let me handle this, please. Why don't you bring Zach over to his mother?" as he nodded his head in the direction where her siblings were gathered. "It really is way past his bedtime."

"But, Nick-"

"Please, sweetie, I'll be fine," he smiled as he took her paw in his and drew her nearer for a quick smooch. "Come back quickly though. We both need to get up early as the doctor will be arriving in the morning. And you know I can't sleep without my personal cuddle bunny beside me. Just like back under the bridge." he said, wiggling his eyebrows. "Oh, and why don't you pass by Vi's office and see if she can accommodate my request for the video?" He gave her a curt, impish wink.

Blushing at the compliment, Judy knowingly smirked, nodded, took Zach from Nick and headed towards where Zach's mother was waiting. However, before she walked away, she held up two fingers in a V-sign, pointed them at her eyes then at her sister.

Nick fondly watched her go then turned and confronted Judy's littermate. "So, you think I'm hot, do you?"

"Honey, you're definitely smoking," giggled Jasmine. "And I can show you a thing or two in the sack better than ol' Loony Judy, over there." she suggested, hungrily ogling Nick from head to paw.

"What makes you think I'm interested?"

"Sweetie, all males want one thing only...and I've got plenty of that to spare," she coquettishly demonstrated as she ran her paws down her busty chest to rest on her ample thighs as she half-turned to display her pert rear and short, wiggling, fluffy tail. "Besides, aren't foxes supposed to chase rabbits, hmmn? How about you chase me into my room?" she enticed, sidling up to him and starting to rub her paws on his broad chest. "I'll even let you go down my rabbit hole," she seductively whispered into his ear as her paw moved down to squeeze his inner thigh. "What d'ya say, lover?" her callous digits slowly inching up towards his groin area.

Nick merely smiled and caught her paw before it could travel up any further. "You know, that's twice in the last ten minutes that you groped me without my permission. That's called sexual assault."

"Oh, please!" she snapped as she pulled her paw away from his grasp. "Just because I stroked your tail and squeezed your thigh, it's a crime? Ha! No one's going to believe a filthy fox over a rabbit! Why, no jury is going to convict me when they see these innocent eyes," batting her eyelashes at him. "Besides, it's your word against mine."

"Actually," he reached into his shirt pocket, pulled out Judy's carrot pen and pressed the playback button, "it's your word against yours."

 _"_ _Oh, please!"_ came her voice from the recording pen _. "Just because I stroked your tail and squeezed your thigh, it's a crime? Ha! No one's going to believe a filthy fox over a rabbit! Why, no jury is going to convict me when they see these innocent eyes….besides, it's your word against mine."_

"Okay, so tell me if this story sounds familiar. Sexy rabbit with a hot bod, thinks she's Gaia's gift to males and expects them to eat out of the palm of her paws once she shows some interest in them. Only to find - whoopsie - not all males think with their lower head. Plus she doesn't know that when foxes choose their mates, it's for life - whoopsie number two. And whoopsie number three - she committed a felony against a Police Officer which carries a penalty of two to four years in jail.

Jasmine slowly backed away, eyes bulging out of their sockets. "Y-y-you still don't have proof that I did anything," she stammered. "That's just a silly recording on a pen."

"Hold that thought," Nick said as he held up a digit while he pulled out his cellphone and dialled. "Carrots? You got it? Uh-huh. Okay. Wow, she had several angles?" he chuckled. "Okay, I'm putting you on speakerphone. Would you mind repeating what you just told me for your sister's sake?"

"Sure, partner," came Judy's voice from the phone. "Violet has voluntarily given me a copy of the video recording of Jasmine's sexual assault on you. She also sent a copy to my parents and is ready to send the file to Chief Bogo on your request."

"Thanks, Carrots," Nick said. "That's all for now. I'll see you in the room in five minutes, okay?"

"You got it, Slick."

"So, you were saying, hmmm?" as he turned to the now very frightened Jasmine who had backed up against the wall.

"You ain't got nuthin' on me, copper!" yelled the scared rabbit as she bolted out of the room. Only to be led back a minute later with her paw held behind her back by a jet black bunny who had purple eyes just like Judy's. "Ow! Ow! Ow! Take it easy, June! I still need my arm you know!"

The bunny called June merely rolled her eyes. "Quit yer bellyachin', Jaz. Mom and Pop sent for ya and asked me to make sure ya din't get lost." Her eyes turned to Nick and she let out a whistle of appreciation. "Ya must be Jude's feeyans," she said, all the while grinning. "No wonder she's all hot and bothered. I'd make a pass at ya meself if I din't have sumun else in ma corner. Not as strappin' as ya but he's got a lot more meat on his bones. Names Juniper, by the way, Judy's littermate. Deputy Juniper Hopps. I'd shake yer paw but as ya can see, they're kinda full at the moment."

Nick chuckled at the outspoken bunny. "The pleasure is all mine, Deputy. The name's Nick Wilde and yes," bowing as he spoke, "I am that dashing, handsome fox that Judy's fallen for." He then sighed dramatically, throwing a paw to his forehead while he placed his other paw on his chest, looking up with closed eyes. "'Tis a curse I must bear. Fear not, good maidens of the Hopps clan, thou shalt recover from thine broken hearts for 'tis fair Judy I've chosen as a mate."

Juniper stared dumbfounded at Nick for a moment, then snorted in laughter as she frogmarched the protesting Jasmine away towards another area of the house. "Ya right!", she snickered derisively. "One gal's sweet petunia is another's poison ivy. See ya around, City Slicker!" she called back as they disappeared into the bowels of the warren.

Nick scowled as he maneuvered the wheelchair back to the room he and Judy were sharing. " _Hmph. I don't get no respect. Didn't think they made them in Country Hick flavour, anymore._ "

* * *

Nick woke up in the morning to the sounds of Judy's light breathing. They had become accustomed to sleeping together with her back to him as he spooned her petite form, his muzzle resting atop of her head as she fit perfectly against his chest. A quick glance at his phone showed the time to be 7:45 a.m.

The previous evening had been a rollercoaster of emotions starting when Stu had unceremoniously barged into their room, pointing his gun at him, to the impromptu gathering at the Dining Hall where he had professed his undying love for Judy in front of her parents and siblings. He had managed to win over Stu Hopps, though. However, when Judy's parents had welcomed Nick as one of their own, the gesture had moved Nick to tears.

For the last twenty years, he had lived on the streets of Zootopia, relying only on himself so he could take care of his mom. There wasn't anyone he could have turned to if something went wrong and more often than not, he ended up paying for it one way or another. When his mom had gotten sick one very bad winter, he had spent a week taking care of her, constantly being by her side. He had had to touch the money he had earned from his last scam to buy food and medicine for her. The days that followed had stretched his very meager resources. He had not eaten for three days and was quite weak and desperate when he had been ambushed by a gang of wolves for trespassing on their territory. He had been left to die in the snow when Grandmama Big chanced upon him and took pity on him. She had nursed him back to health and insisted that he become her personal carrier after that. And even though he was part of the Bigs, it wasn't the typical family that made you all warm and fuzzy on the inside. One mistake could easily have been his last.

But with the Hopps, he had been accepted because Judy loved him. Suddenly, he not only had someone to call dad again but his family had increased exponentially from just himself, his mom and Judy to now include her whole clan. He reflected on the blessings he continued to receive simply because a young naive rookie bunny had come hopping into his life.

Said bunny stirred in his arms, adorably yawning as she smacked her lips and slowly rubbed her head underneath his jaw. "Morning, Slick!", she purred, turning so that she could face him. "How's my fox this morning?"

"Mentally exhausted from last night's emotion fest but happy now that we have your father's blessing and approval."

"You know, even without his approval, nothing would have changed between us, right?"

"I know, Carrots. Still, nothing beats being part of a family. It used to be just my mom and I and now I'm going to go crazy trying to remember all two hundred and seventy-five names of your immediate family, not to mention your nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins, once and twice removed."

"Silly fox, you just stick with me and you'll be fine," Judy giggled as she buried her nose in his neck fur, deeply inhaling Nick's musky scent. "Mmmhh...I can't get enough of this."

"Neither can I," agreed Nick, as he, too, breathed in Judy's special scent, one that reminded him of sweet honeysuckle flowers swaying in the summer wind. Last night, when she was in his lap, it had grown stronger right after he had spoken of his love for her. He had managed to control himself but with winter soon coming, he knew he would have to address the inevitable sooner than later. Still, he was comfortable just snuggling with her and was in no hurry.

"Jaz was being an ass last night," grumbled Judy, still visibly upset. "I'm glad you took her down a peg or two."

"You know, that's insulting to donkeys. And yes, she was being difficult. I hope that your parents read the riot act to her. Us foxes are very particular as to who can touch our tails. We only let our loved ones or family do so. I hated the fact that she presumed I wanted to jump her bones," he griped.

"Yeah, but knowing her," Judy fumed, "it may not be the end of it. They told me she has several restraining orders against her from other mammals. There's even a story of when she was being interviewed for a job, she didn't wear any underwear while wearing a very short and revealing dress. The minister who was conducting the interview almost had a heart attack when she crossed and uncrossed her legs in front of him.

"When we were younger, she was always taking my toys. Juniper would always help me get them back. But as we grew older, she started 'stealing' my male friends from me. I initially felt hurt but I realized that if they wanted to be with her because she was willing to put out and I wasn't, then they weren't the kind of friends I wanted. In the end, I didn't pay any mind to her shenanigans.

"But this time," gnashing her teeth, "she's threatening to take away the one mammal that I truly love. I can't let her do that." Judy squinted as a tear threatened to drop from the corner of her eye. "Just like if any vixen attempts to hit on you, they're going to be busy picking up their teeth," she growled.

Nick had never seen this possessive side of Judy. He remembered she had confessed she had never had any real relationships as she grew up. It was, in a sense, the same for him as he had never the time or the inclination to fall in love as he was always busy surviving.

He had had a hard time believing that someone as beautiful as her could love someone like him. But she constantly went out of her way to reassure him that she did. He reflected that he did not do the same for her given his old trust issues but he was starting to see the insecurities she had been hiding from him. And if there was any mammal he could fully open up to, it was her.

As he lay in bed, softly caressing her ears that were laying back along her head, a love poem that he had memorized once before came to him. He tucked her closer into his chest and whispered it in her ear.

 _In times good or bad, whether happy or sad,  
_ _Wherever, whenever, just flee, so I'll,  
_ _Hold you when you're small, catch you when you fall,  
_ _And bring back your wonderful and gentle smile,  
_ _Today we'll live for what tomorrow can give,  
_ _When we're wrapped together we can keep on going..._

"Judy, my sweet dear bunny," Nick assured her as he gazed deep into her amethyst eyes, "foxes mate for life. You-and only you-are the mammal for me. It took me a long time to realize it, but when I did, I decided that I wanted to be in a life-long commitment with you. It's not going to be easy 'cause aside from the fact that society may not accept our relationship, we're both liable to make mistakes. We could even say things that will hurt each other again. But I will always love you as I hope you do me. And as long as we are open and talk it out, I think we'll be fine."

Judy thought that she was already totally in love with Nick but as he spoke, she realized that she was wrong. He continually surprised her by the depth of his love and how he went about showing it. He made her heart flutter like a tap-dancing spastic hyena. It ignited a heat in her loins which demanded quenching.

She pressed closer to Nick and captured his muzzle in her paws. She caught his lips with hers and poured out all her frustrations, love and longing into the kiss. Her tongue demanded entry into his mouth and when he allowed it, she let it tantalizingly play with his larger one for a while then used it to explore his teeth, pausing to lick his fangs, savoring their sharpness.

Her mind raced back to the time in the museum when Nick had faked becoming savage. She had never told him her instincts had initially been to run away at the sight of him baring his fangs to her. She had, however, focused on the kindness and gentleness he had shown her and she had managed to overcome the old fear. But when Nick had her by the throat with his teeth slightly pressed against her fur, it had triggered something else: a desire for him. The fact that he had held her life between his jaws had been an exhilarating rush.

"Rabbits mate for life, too, Nick," she whispered happily back as they broke their kiss. "And, you're not getting rid of me that easily. I'll always love you no matter how snarky and irritating you can be. Because you're my dumb fox."

"And you'll always be my sly bunny," he winked at her, happy that he had been able to reassure his mate. "I'm not going anywhere. No matter what any female tries to do. We foxes are hard-wired to remain faithful to one mammal once we've bonded."

"The same can be said for bunnies, but we get a lot of bad press because before we settle down on a single mate, we may go through a lot of partners. I guess I was the exception as I've never been one to settle for being just another carrot farmer."

"Speaking of bad press, it's bad enough being judged just because I'm a fox. But for your sister to assume that I'm just a prey-chaser? Puh-lease. Her boobs were as fake as her." he bristled. "There's only one prey I want to chase and she's right here in my arms," snuggling Judy tighter to his chest. "And, I'm never going to stop chasing her," he grinned as he playfully snapped his jaws on her ear.

Judy squealed in laughter then suddenly moaned passionately. She quickly covered her mouth, embarrassed at the incriminating sound she had made and quickly smacked him on the chest. "Stop that, Nick!" she glared at him.

"Oh? Is _somebunny_ turned on by teeth?" he grinned. "What about claws?" as he jokingly ran a pointed digit down from between her shoulder blades to her fluffy tail. If her high-pitched squeak-or the fact that her eyeballs rolled up till only the whites showed-didn't give her away, the sudden change in her scent did.

Typically, she smelled earthy, like fresh dew in the misty morning. Whenever her mood changed, it would shift a little, which he was able to pick up given his canine sense of smell. In the hospital, where he had presented her with the Promise Ring and his desire to make things a little more permanent, her scent had also changed. She had smelt like apple pie and a warm fire on a winter's evening. Ever since last night, the smell of sweet honeysuckle flowers swaying in the summer wind had permeated his senses. But when he had run a claw down her spine, her scent had suddenly spiked. It reminded him of lightning over the sea: sharp, pure, electric.

Without a word, she carefully pushed Nick onto his back and climbed on top of him, discarding her top along the way.

Caught off guard, Nick could only blink in surprise. "Uh, Carrots, whatcha doing?"

"Shirt off. Now, Nick!" she demanded, tugging at the offending fabric between her and her mate's chest fur. Nick had never seen her like this and quickly complied. Tossing the shirt onto the floor, she proceeded to chin every inch of Nick's chest, carefully avoiding the wounded area. As she began to travel southwards, Nick nervously spoke up.

"Hopps? Carrots? Ju- _woohoohoo_ -dy! W-we're supposed to take it easy, remember? D-d-doctor's orders!" he frantically scrambled to get things under control as she marked him in a very ticklish area while trying to pull his shorts off.

Unfortunately for Nick, Judy was too entranced at this point, growling out under her breath, "My fox! All mine!" As her paws started yanking hard on his shorts, Nick needed to distract her from her mission. Thankfully, she had forgotten about his tail hole which prevented her from accomplishing her objective. The only thing within his paws' reach were her ears, standing at attention as if they were sentinels watching out for intruders. He began to run his paws along the length of them, starting from the base to the tip and back.

As he began to massage her ears, Judy quickly forgot about disrobing Nick as her brain started to melt from the sheer pleasure of it. Nick had inadvertently stumbled onto the Achilles heel of rabbits: their ears were the most sensitive part of their bodies considering the number of blood vessels and nerve endings per square inch, making them extremely susceptible to a lover's caress. As he varied his strokes, he noticed Judy's hind paw would shake as he gently drew a claw along the inner portion. After about five minutes of this, he stopped and lifted her up to his chest as she lay there immobile, slightly gasping and making adorable mewling sounds.

Nick chuckled. "Well, whaddya know? I think I found the 'off' switch."

"No fair," Judy faintly protested as she feebly attempted to swat him. "I wanted to take care of you," she whined.

"Now, now, sweetie, no pouting. It isn't becoming of you. Besides, isn't the doctor arriving this morning for the check-up? I don't think you'd like to be probed while we're knotted, eh?"

Judy blushed mightily although she wasn't sure if it was due to the thought of being caught or getting knotted by Nick. She had read up on the mating habits of vulpines and was aware of the intricacies involved. Given their size difference, she was unsure of the logistics but she had never backed down from any challenge. She wanted to embrace _all_ aspects of being her fox's mate, including the vulpine tradition of being physically bitten by her mate as a form of marking during the mating process.

"Urgh...what time is it?"

"Uhmm...8:42 a.m.?"

"Sweet cheese and crackers!" Judy yelled as she shot up from the bed. "He'll be here at 9:00 a.m.! C'mon, Slick! We need to get dressed."

* * *

"I'm pleased to say that you're both well on your way to recovery," Dave said as he began to make his way out of the burrow. "I don't mind saying that you two are a bit outside of my usual patient demographic…well, at least you are Mr. Wilde."

All three mammals chuckled at the thought as they all knew that Dave's role was primarily as an OBGYN at the Honeywell Centre. His presence in Bunnyburrow had been a pleasant coincidence, and the wolf had been more than happy to check in on the two officers.

"Please, Doc," Nick chuckled. "We've already broken bread at Mac's. You can call me Nick."

"Fine, as long as you get to call me Dave then." the wolf retorted with a smile of his own.

"Thank you for coming out to see us," Judy said, taking the lead of their group and escorting Dave to the entrance. "I'm glad that we don't have to use the wheelchair anymore. I was getting antsy just sitting in it all the time."

"Speak for yourself, Fluff. I could ride that baby the whole three weeks I'm here."

"Oh, no you don't. Dave's cleared us for some light exercise. So, you're getting your lazy butt in gear and out the door with me beginning tomorrow. Oh, and Dave," Judy said as she finished playfully chastising Nick, "Be sure to let Carol know that we'll be back on duty soon."

"But not too soon," Nick chimed in with a faux sense of fear in his voice. "I get tossed around the gym enough by her when I'm healthy."

Dave gave a real laugh at the comment, knowing all too well how his mate's enthusiasm for her job often meant bruises for her students, himself included.

The group reached the front door, and Dave offered his paw to the pair. "I'll be by to check in on you again tomorrow. Barring any change, I think you should be fit for duty in a couple of…"

Whatever the wolf was about to say was lost when there was a crash from down the hall. All three mammals looked to see Zach struggling to get to his feet. The kit had knocked over a small end table, spilling a bowl full of nuts in the process. As he got to his feet, he wobbled unsteadily, and reached out towards the wall for support.

A frown appeared on Dave's face, and he looked towards Judy and Nick, who also had worried looks on their muzzles. "Excuse me for a moment," he said, and he quickly moved towards the young rabbit.

Kneeling down, he offered a paw to the young buck, "You okay there, Sport?" he asked gently. "You took a nasty fall."

The rabbit nodded his head, but was still having difficulty keeping his balance. Judy came up behind the pair, and reached out to steady her nephew. "Zach, this is Doctor Hawthorne." Looking over to Dave, she couldn't help but notice the concern plainly visible on the wolf's face.

"It's nice to meet you, Zach." Dave said, and then reached out and placed his paws on either side of Zach's face, carefully pulling down the skin around the young buck's eyes so he could better see them. Removing a small penlight from his pocket, he shone the light into Zach's eyes. "Just keep looking at the tips of my ears, Zach."

Replacing the penlight into his pocket, he held both of his index digits out towards the kit. "I want you to squeeze my fingers as hard as you can, okay?" he asked, and Zach complied, squeezing as hard as he could.

Dave nodded and smiled at the kit's efforts. "That's it, very good!" he said, and motioned for Zach to let go. "Now I want you to reach both arms out, then look up and close your eyes," Dave said, pantomiming the act. Zach attempted to mimic the pose, but as soon as he closed his eyes, he wobbled, and would have fallen if Dave hadn't reached out to steady him.

"That's fine, Zach," he said and looked over to Judy. "Judy, would you mind finding Zach's parents?"

Worry spread across both Nick and Judy's faces at Dave's words. "What's wrong?" Judy hurriedly asked, while reaching for her smartphone.

Dave shook his head in reply, "It might be nothing, but I want to take Zach to the hospital to have him checked out. This loss of balance is probably just a bug, but I want to be sure."

* * *

At the Bunnyburrow General Hospital, Dave came out of the MRI room and met with Judy, Bonnie, Stu and Zach's parents. He tried to keep an impassive look on his face while maintaining a neutral tone of voice. He approached the group, knelt on one knee so he was at their level and introduced himself to the other rabbits.

"Good day. I'm Dr. Dave Hawthorne. Zach's doing fine and is just resting. I've asked Nick to keep him company. I've called a specialist friend of mine, Dr. Doug Wilson, who is on his way from The Honeywell Genetic Counselling Centre. He's a pediatric neurosurgeon and is currently en route on a medivac helicopter as we speak."

"What's wrong with him, doctor?" asked Abigail, the eldest daughter of Stu and Bonny and mother to Zach, as she worriedly wrung her paws. John, her mate, stood beside her, rubbing her shoulders as he tried to console her while trying to put on a brave front himself.

Dave could smell their fear and concern; he took no pleasure in having to deliver the news. He tried to soften it as much as he could. "Mr. and Mrs. Grazier, right? Well, I have my suspicions but I've asked Dr. Wilson, who's one of the top pediatric surgeons of Zootopia, to come over so that we can do a biopsy with your permission. If I'm wrong, then we need only have to get a physical therapist for Zach to help him with his clumsiness."

"And...if you're right?" John asked fearfully.

This was the part of his job that Dave hated most of all. He stood up and looked at the group. "If I'm right, then Zach is a very sick boy."

* * *

"What's your prognosis, Doug?"

The elderly rabbit wiped a paw across his forehead and sighed. After arriving, he and Dave had prepped the little bunny for surgery where they had obtained a sample for further testing. The whole process including the screening had taken over eight hours and he was drained. "It's obvious, isn't it Dave? Not sure why you needed me here to confirm it."

"I was hoping it's still curable."

"I'm afraid not. With this type of disease, when the symptoms manifest themselves-"

"Damn it, Doug!" growled the wolf as he stood up to pace the room. "For once, I'd like to be able to deliver some good news once in awhile."

Doug nodded, understanding Dave's frustrations. Back at the Honeywell Centre, they seemed to be perpetually pitching themselves against a brick wall. " _Hell, even Sisyphus would throw his paws up in exasperation if he faced our challenges daily!_ " he thought.

"Sorry, Doug." muttered Dave. "Didn't mean to take it out on you. I just wish-"

The rabbit reached out a paw and placed it on the wolf's shoulder. "If wishes were fishes, we wouldn't have to work a day in our lives." he said sympathetically.

"Right," Dave said somberly. "Stole that from that sheep on tv, Dr. Oztrich, didn't you?" he lightheartedly accused.

The older buck merely shrugged, letting a small smile grace his muzzle. "He mentioned that it was an old saying from his grandfather who was a Scottish Blackface. So...are you-"

"Not so fast Dr. Wilson! _We_ ," he indicated the space between them, "are going out there. Together. You're the specialist and they'll want to hear it from you."

Doug groaned. "Fine, but you owe me one, you poor excuse of a flea-bitten mutt."

* * *

Dave gathered the Hoppses into one of the hospital's consultation rooms. Stu and Bonny sat together while Judy sat on one side of her sister while the boy's father was on the other. He and Doug sat across from them. He had asked Nick to stay with Zach in case he woke up from surgery. He didn't want the young bunny waking up without a familiar face nearby.

He studied the faces of the lagomorphs before him. Except for Judy, who was trying to put on a brave face, the grandparents and parents seemed terrified. Not because he was a predator but because of the news he was about to deliver.

"Mr. and Mrs. Hopps, John, Abigail, Judy," acknowledging his audience, "I'd like you to meet Dr. Doug Wilson, pediatric neurosurgeon of the Honeywell Genetic Counselling Centre. He performed the biopsy on Zach and confirmed my suspicions.

"Zach has _Glioblastoma Multiforme_ or GBM. It's a fast-growing tumor which has attached itself to Zach's brain. It has grown to a size that it is now pressing against or damaging nerves or other structures. This can interfere with the brain's normal functions. For example, a brain tumor can disrupt thought, memory, emotion, movement, vision, hearing, and touch. Unfortunately, there isn't a known cure for GBM and the available treatment is meant to relieve pain and symptoms, improve the quality of life of the patient, and prolong survival."

All the rabbits on the other side of the table stared in horror at the wolf. Judy finally found her voice to whisper fearfully: "Can't the tumor be operated on?"

Doug took over to explain the problems about operating on the brain tumor.

"The reason why these tumors are insidious is they can go symptom free until they are quite advanced. As the brain itself lacks any pain receptors, it's only when the tumor encroaches on a regulatory region, and starts to mess that up that the symptoms become apparent...and by that point there's often little that can be done. Zach's cancer is now considered to be at Stage IV," he said glumly, seeing how the faces of all the adults in the room fell at the diagnosis.

"But I've heard of cancer patients who've managed to beat the disease even at that stage!" Judy cried. "Surely something can be done to save Zach!"

"I wish there was," Doug grimaced. "Those 'miracle' cases are few and far between. Think of a vine that's been left unchecked to grow wildly," the rabbit motioned towards the MRI scan showing the tumor's location plainly defined by the image. "In Zach's case, the root of the 'vine' is lodged in his hindbrain where the medulla, pons and cerebellum lie. These three parts control his breathing, blood flow, heartbeat, communication between different parts of the brain and sensations such as hearing, taste, and balance. The tumor has metastasised and spread to almost a third of his hindbrain."

Doug shook his head, and there was no hiding the sadness in his voice, "If we try to operate, we might be able to get most of the tumor out but the operation would likely kill him or leave him in a vegetative state. He would need to be hooked up to machines that would help him breathe, make his heart pump, and filter the poisons out of his body...we wouldn't even know if he would be capable of coherent thought."

Abigail could no longer control herself as she collapsed against her husband, sobbing hysterically. John couldn't move as he, too, was in shock. Bonnie sought solace in Stu's arms, weeping uncontrollably while Stu tried to comfort her, not faring any better with his own emotions. With tears streaming down her own cheeks, Judy asked the two doctors if they could have some privacy.

Dave nodded. As he and Doug left, he glanced back at the grief-stricken lagomorphs. He observed that all five had formed a small huddle in the corner, instinctively seeking the comfort of each other's bodily contact.

* * *

Nick sat by Zach's bed, processing the news Judy had told him. She sat in his lap, seeking comfort, devastated for the little bunny lying asleep on the hospital bed who was blissfully unaware of his fate. He had wrapped his tail around her, her head underneath his muzzle as he stroked her ears which lay against her head. He had shed copious tears as well. Having just gotten to know Zach, he had been enamored by the young bunny's innocence, selflessness and unconditional love he had shown for Nick. The fox trembled as he hugged Judy to his chest, his breath coming in gasping sobs.

Judy wiped the tears from her face as she kissed the side of his muzzle, reaching a paw out to caress his neck. "Are you okay, sweetie?"

"This is what I hate about loving," confessed Nick as he gathered himself. "It's the pain. Sometimes, I wish I was still my old hustler self. I was good at keeping it out."

"Do you truly feel that way?" she asked softly.

He quietly reflected. After some time, he answered her with a tight hug. "No. Love is what brought you into my life. You brought the sunshine back. I would have remained a jaded, egocentric mammal without a future. With you beside me, I know I- _we_ -can get through the hurt together."

She hugged her fox back, happy with his answer. She knew he was still managing the various issues related to his life before she met him. He continued to surprise her with his capacity to care for others, even putting their needs before his. His concern for Zach touched her. He had no reason to care deeply for the young bunny but he did.

"I wish we could do something for him, Carrots."

"The doctors said they would make sure he was as comfortable as possible. He'll be placed under palliative care."

"Not that. I want him to be happy. If I knew I was going to die, I'd want to go through my bucket list. Do the things that I've wanted to do before-"

"Hush, sweetie." she whispered. "I don't want him to find out right now. I'd like Abby, John and my parents to be around when we break the news to him."

"It's oh-oh-okay, Aunt Judy. I ka-ka-kinda figured something was wrong with muh-muh-me."

Judy's ears flew up in surprise, smacking Nick in the face, eliciting a yip from him. The little bunny laughed at this. "Duh-duh-do that again, A-a-aunt Judy." he grinned from his bed.

She turned to find Zach's eyes open. Except for the bandage around his head, one would never think anything wrong was with him as he was beaming as brightly as a sunbeam.

"Hey, Sport." Nick spoke up. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm oh-oh-okay, Unca Nick. Little wuh-wuh-woozy."

"Zach," Judy asked, "how long have you been awake? How much did you hear?"

He gave a little shrug. "Wuh-wuh-when you're as small as me, you luh-luh-learn to kuh-kuh-keep quiet around guh-guh-grown-ups. Thu-thu-they duh-duh-don't realize I'm thu-thu-there and I luh-luh-listen well." he smiled.

"Zach, is there anything you want to do, you know before…?" Nick asked awkwardly. "Just let me know. I'll make it happen for you."

"Nick, you can't promise things like that!"

" _Au contraire,_ Fluff. I can and I will. Remember, I know everyone in Zootopia." he boasted.

"Yuh-yuh-you can make my wish cu-cu-come true, Unca Nick?"

"Yup! I'm gonna be your fairy godmother."

Zach suddenly guffawed, clutching his stomach, tears rolling down the side of his face.

"Uh, are you okay there, Zach?"

Zach grinned as he wiped a paw across his face. "Nuh-nuh-nothing, Unca Nick. I ih-ih-imagined yuh-yuh-you wearing a duh-duh-dress and ho-ho-holding a wand is all." he smirked.

"Well," snickered Nick, "if that's what it takes to make your wish come true, then I'll do it. Besides, I rock in a dress. Had to wear one once to in order to make a lion believe that I was a fortune-teller. He was a visiting prince from another country and I convinced him I'd be able to tell him when he'd become king if he donated the contents of his wallet to the first blind fox he came upon soliciting for a charity. Told him once he did that, to come back and I'd be able to see when it would happen. Of course, Finnick was waiting down the block. You should have seen the lion's face when he came back and the shop was empty. He started to suck on his thumb and cry for his 'mummy'."

As the three of them laughed over Nick's story, Zach reflected on Nick's offer.

"I wa-wa-was talking to the other kits here buh-buh-before I wuh-wuh-went into su-su-surgery. Suh-suh-some of them a-a-are like muh-muh-me." stammered Zach as he struggled to speak. "Bu-bu-but they duh-duh-don't ha-ha-have a fuh-fuh-fairy guh-guh-godmother like muh-muh-me. I wa-wa-wanna he-he-help them." he finally managed to get out.

Nick pondered over what Zach was asking. "Are you saying that _your_ wish is to help the other kits make _their_ wishes come true?"

"Ye-ye-yes, Unca Nick."

"Oh, Zach," Judy sniffled, her eyes moist with tears, "for someone so little, you have the biggest and bravest heart I've ever seen. But, how can we do that?"

"Don't worry about it, Carrots. I know someone who might be able to help us."

* * *

A/N: For those of you who have stuck with me, many thanks again for your patience. The following chapters shouldn't take as long as I've fleshed out most of them. Hopefully before I have to move from my current residence for the last ten years. I will be busy in the first quarter of next year as my Creative Writing online course will require me to read and submit a short story every week for the next thirteen weeks. There are three more chapters to go so I must ask for your indulgence once more.

The poem I referenced above is an original by GuiltySpark2K12 from AO3. Also, I must credit the idea of Judy's ear massage to VariableMammal which came from his own story, "Zootopia: Partners - Partners and Family".

And an advanced Merry Christmas to all! For those who are not of the Christian persuasion, Happy Holidays! XD


	8. The Foundation - Part Three

Disclaimer: All characters are owned by ©Disney except for the following: Serendipity and Karma are owned by VariableMammal; Dave Hawthorne and Doug Wilson belong to assamite1/eng050599; Shakespeare is owned by WriteAnon from the story, 'Water Under The Bridge'; Sirse Sinclair, Amenii Oakwoods and Nera are owned by CodeShark from DeviantArt; Augustus Ghrizzly and Zachary are my OCs. Any resemblance to actual persons or mammals, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The commissioned art pieces were created by TheWinterBunny and Quirky-middle-child.

Many thanks to my editors: Code-shark, DancingLunarWolves, Stubat007 and Nightwolf0179 for their invaluable help with this chapter. As for the other OCs that I create and you take without permission… I'm gonna give you to the count of ten, to get your ugly, yella, no-good keister off my property, before I pump your guts full of lead! One…two…ten! ( _sounds of machine gunfire and maniacal laughter_ ) Keep the change, ya filthy animal!

* * *

"Don't worry about it, Carrots. I know someone who might be able to help us. Do you remember when we were at the Meadowlands Memorial Park last Memorial Day? The bear we met, Augustus Ghrizzly?

"What about him?"

"I'll explain later on. For now, we need Dave's permission to see if we can hitch a ride back to Zootopia tomorrow on the medivac helicopter."

* * *

"Duh-duh-do you ruh-ruh-really need to guh-guh-go, Unca Nick?"

"Afraid so, Zach, but don't worry. We'll only be there a few days but we'll come back here to continue our medical vacation. We'll be thinking of you while we're gone," confessed the tod as he sat by the young bunny's hospital bed the next day.

"Oh-oh-okay! I'll be wuh-wuh-waiting." smiled the young bunny, eyes drooping. "I'm just guh-guh-gonna rest my eyes for a-a-awhile."

Nick couldn't believe how upbeat Zach was. Despite knowing he had a terminal illness, he continued to look at the silver lining in everything. He had quickly made friends with the whole staff in the Kits Cancer Ward and had made a difference among the young patients as well. There seemed to be more smiles in the room when he entered to visit Zach with Judy.

He leaned over to kiss the sleeping bunny's forehead, careful not to wake him. He then went to look for Judy. After consulting with Chief Bogo, she had donated their ZPD-issued motorized wheelchair to the Bunnyburrow General Hospital. She was making arrangements with the hospital administration for Zach to use it in the meantime.

He caught up with her just as she was leaving the hospital director's office. "C'mon, Nick! Dr. Wilson just informed me he's ready to leave in fifteen minutes. We're to meet him at the helipad outside."

* * *

"So, where are we going to find this Augustus Ghrizzly?" Judy raised her voice as she spoke into the mike of the headset. She could hardly hear herself over the noise of the helicopter.

"Tomorrow is the eleventh day of the eleventh month of the year. He'll be back at the War Memorial paying respects at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier." Nick's voice came back over the headset. "We can get our dress uniforms from the ZPD lockers and meet him there at the eleventh hour of the day. They will hold a two-minute moment-of-silence ceremony and then we can talk to him."

"Why exactly are we going to see him?"

"He owes me a few favours. Last I heard, he's done pretty well for himself. He's a real softie for down-on-their-luck stories, plus he travels in the high society circle so he can put us in touch with other philanthropists. I figure we can let them know about the situation with the kits in the cancer ward of Bunnyburrow General Hospital, get some pledges and then use the funds to bring some joy into the lives of those young mammals."

"But what if he can't help?"

Nick fidgeted nervously in his seat. "There's always Mr. Big," Nick said, "but you may have to be the one to approach him. He may have forgiven me for the skunk butt rug incident but I'd rather not push my luck. Besides, you're little Judy's godmother. How can he say no to you?"

"We'll see. What do you have in mind for the kits?"

Nick leaned back in his seat, deep in thought. "Not sure yet, Fluff," came his voice hollowly over the radio. "If I knew I was about to 'shuffle off this mortal coil', I'd make plans to reach out to those whom I wronged in the past, to make amends. But if I were a kit?" He shrugged his shoulders, a helpless look in his eyes as he stared down at his paws. "Stuff my face full of sweets? Stay up all night to watch the scary movies my parents wouldn't let me watch? Go to all the amusement parks there are? Eat ice cream and pizza everyday? Buy the latest toys or gadgets? I really didn't have much of a childhood so I really can't really say. Those are just some of the things I'd imagine those kits are missing out on. They've been dealt a bad blow and Zach just wants to make things right for them before he..."

He looked up, seeking her face, unable to complete his sentence. "It's just not fair," he whispered.

Judy's eyes began to tear up hearing Nick's somber tone. She realized why he was so affected by this. Since he had never experienced a happy childhood, the thought of young kits having to go through what he had in the past broke his heart. Unable to climb into his lap due to the seat restraints, she reached out to him instead, smiling while she held his paw and brought it up to her lips to place a kiss on it. "Dumb, emotional fox," she sniffled. "Have I told you lately that I love you?"

"More than I tell you, Carrots," Nick smiled back at her. "You've always been there for me. You've believed in me from the start. I can never thank you enough for choosing me, lifting me up from my humdrum existence. If not for you, I would have remained a vagabond and a hustler. It's time, though, to stop using my past as an excuse and step up in our relationship."

"Nick, have you heard me complain?" she asked wryly.

Nick held her paw in his, feeling the soft fur against his rough calloused pads, head bowed as he reflected on her question. He was thankful she understood his reluctance to talk on his past life. And although she never pressured him, she often encouraged him to talk to her about it as a form of cathartic release.

"When I was a pup of seventeen," he began, "there was this artic vixen with fur as white as Tundratown snow. I met her during one of my scams and she became my 'partner-in-crime' for a while. This was before I met Finnick. She and I did pretty well in our hustles, appearing as a newly married couple who just had lost all our valuables in a fire. Or we'd pose as panicked parents looking for our missing kit. I...I thought she was the one...my soulmate. One day, I bared my feelings for her and she just laughed in my face. Said that the hustle had gone to my head and she was there only for the money. She called me a fool for being a romantic and walked away, breaking my heart in the process."

"Nick, I-"

He placed a finger softly on her lips, smiling tenderly as he interrupted her.

"I know you're not like her, Judy. You're ten times better than she was. Heck, a hundred times even! I'm just letting you know that, ever since then, it's been one of my biggest fears that someone I loved would walk away if she knew the things I had done in order to survive. You, on the other paw, already knew of my past and still accepted me in spite of it."

As he looked into her amethyst eyes, spellbound by the pure, unconditional love radiating from them, he began to realize his fears were unfounded. With the beautiful grey bunny beside him, his baseless apprehensions disappeared as quickly as smoke in the wind.

"So, no, Judy. You haven't," he said, bringing her paw to his lips as well. "But that doesn't mean that I should just sit back and enjoy what we have. A relationship needs two mammals to work on it together. It's time for me to start doing my share of the heavy lifting. You're the one who inspired me to become a police officer. You're the spark plug of the team. Your optimism is a breath of fresh air to this once jaded fox. You deserve more," Smiling, he reached across to cup her soft cheek in his paw, "and I'm going to be there. Every day. By your side. To make sure."

Judy's ears warmed under his piercing emerald eyes. She couldn't deny that the fine specimen of masculinity beside her made her giddy with desire. If they had been alone, she would have made sure he knew that fact. For now, she settled on chirring contentedly as she closed her eyes, enjoying his caresses. She vowed to herself to show him, when the time was right, how much she loved him.

* * *

The following morning at the stroke of eleven, Judy and Nick, in their dress blues, found themselves besides a huge grizzly bear wearing a business suit. The three of them stood in silence before The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier which was located inside the Meadowlands Memorial Park. The cenotaph was flanked on its four corners by four vigil sentry mammals in full dress uniform. They represented the four services: Army, Air Force, Navy, and Police. Nick and Judy had their paws up in a salute while Gus had his head bowed as a sign of respect as a raccoon bugler played _Last Post_. There followed two minutes of silence, after which an elephant bagpiper wailed out the _Lament._ As the elephant finished, Nick and Judy escorted Gus forward as he strode with a large wreath in his paws. He placed the wreath on a stand prepared for the occasion, stepped back, placed his right paw on the left side of his chest and recited:

 _They were young, as we are young,  
They served, giving freely of themselves.  
To them, we pledge, amid the winds of time,  
To carry their torch and never forget.  
We will remember them._

Both Judy and Nick responded: _We will remember them._

* * *

"Thank you, Officers Hopps and Wilde, for being my escorts today. To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?" Gus inquired at the end of the ceremony as the three of them walked towards the exit.

"Please, Gus. We've known each other for some time. I still go by Nick. And this is my mate, Judy. We're here to ask your help on behalf of some young terminally ill mammals who badly need a break."

"Is that so?" Gus pondered, scratching his jaw as he considered Nick's request. "Tell you what. It's almost noon and I promised my mate I'd cook lunch for her. Get out of your dress uniforms and meet me at my place. I have a few ideas I'd like to kick around with you. I'll have Francine let you in so you won't need to knock. Just announce yourself at the door."

Gladly accepting Gus' invitation, Judy and Nick headed back to the ZPD so they could change back into their casual clothes and make their way to the address Gus had provided. They found themselves entering a sprawling property as they drove up the lengthy driveway. Many trees dotted the landscape, but in the middle of everything stood two buildings. One obviously was a house constructed in modern design. There were many large glass windows that let in natural light, and the architect favoured the use of the open concept for a lot of the living space. The other looked like a small warehouse which seemed out of place on a private plot of property.

They walked up to the front door of the house, pressed the intercom button and announced themselves.

"Welcome, Officers Wilde and Hopps. Master Ghrizzly is expecting you," the female voice from the box said. "Please come in."

As the door opened on its own, both Nick and Judy were amazed at the palatial scene spread before them.

"What exactly does Gus do, Nick?" whispered Judy as they stepped inside.

"He's an inventor, Carrots," he responded, lowering his voice as well. "Likes to tinker with a lot of stuff. When I first met him, he was peddling some electronic doodads, doohickeys and whatchamacallits on a street corner. Had no concept of how to market them, so I pitched him a few ideas and next thing I know, he's the next Bill Goats. Last time he was mentioned in the news was when his mate, a female bear, passed away a couple of years ago due to a lingering illness."

"Master Ghrizzly is in the main living room," came the disembodied female voice out of thin air, making the duo jump. "Please go through the main foyer and turn right."

They suspiciously scrutinized the ceiling and walls for a hidden speaker but couldn't find any. Not sure what to expect, they cautiously entered the premises and saw their host, now wearing a red technical shirt and brown slacks, wave to them from the center of the living room.

"Welcome to my humble abode. I've only just arrived myself. I was about to look for my mate when- _aaack_!"

Nick and Judy watched in horror as a creature clad in a yellow jumpsuit seemed to magically appear out of thin air and dropped onto Gus' head, snarling and latching onto his ears with its mouth whilst slashing away at him with its sharp claws. To his credit, Gus didn't scream like a schoolgirl when the attacker had surprised him. Instead, he countered the attack with a punch to the creature's midsection, forcing it to release his ear when it gasped for breath. He quickly swiped at the creature with his massive paw only for it to disappear again as quickly as it had appeared.

Just as Nick and Judy were about to rush over and check on him, they froze when the bear began to laugh uproariously, clapping his paws as he called out: " _Bravo! Tres bien, mon petit cheri!_ You certainly outdid yourself that time. Now, how about you come- _oof_!"

They watched in confusion as the bear continued to be pummeled by the invisible intruder, dancing about like a marionette on a string. Although he seemed helpless, Gus appeared to be able to counter most of the attacks but his shirt told a different story as it was slowly getting shredded to pieces.

"Nick, we just can't stand here! We need to help him."

"I don't know, Carrots. They never covered this back in Basic Training."

"But he's going to get killed if we don't do anything."

"You're right," he relented. "I know I'm going to regret this but let's go!"

Just as Nick and Judy attempted to step in, Gus waved them off. "Stop right there! _Urk_! For your safety- _ouch_! Don't come any closer," he warned. "I- _yow_! Damn it, Sirse!" he cursed, hopping around on one leg as he clutched his other one. "Let me at least finish! Uh, sorry, where was I? Oh, yes. I have to handle this alone."

He crouched down on one knee with his eyes closed. His ears were up high on his head and his face reflected extreme concentration. Suddenly, he began to sniff and his ears twisted towards a wall on his left. They watched as he quickly lunged at something with incredible speed only to appear clutching at nothing but thin air as he leaned with both paws against the wall. Then, in a puzzling turn of events, he began smooching the wall.

The fox and bunny were about to call for the mammals in white as they feared the ursine had lost his mind until the air in front of the bear began to shimmer and the creature in the yellow jumpsuit became visible. Upon closer examination by the police officers, their host's assailant was a red vixen, who appeared to be slightly taller than Judy. Her fur colouring was exactly like Nick's. Her ears were slightly larger in proportion to her stature but what set her apart from other foxes was her tail. It was gorgeous, lush, and extremely bushy. And was wagging up a storm. She had her paws all over Gus' muzzle, pulling him closer as he had her pinned against the wall while he was stroking her tail. Judy awkwardly turned away and forced Nick to do the same when she realized that they were having a very intense and intimate moment based on the sounds coming from the two. She tried not to listen in but after a few minutes of almost obscene slurping sounds, she coughed into her paw.

"Oh, my apologies, Officers." Gus unabashedly said as he lowered the vixen to the floor where she stood silently beside him, looking at the pair questioningly. "Where are my manners? This is my mate, Sirse Sinclair. Sirse, may I introduce our guests, Officers Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps. They'll be joining us for lunch."

The vixen smiled warmly and wiggled her fingers in greeting. She then quickly flashed out some paw signs to them.

"Apologies, my mate is mute and only communicates with sign language. _Amor_ , why don't you wear that special choker I had made for such an occasion?"

The look Sirse gave Gus could have melted steel. She quickly flashed more paw signs to him. Gus responded in kind.

Judy leaned into Nick and whispered out of the side of her mouth, "Are you getting any of this?"

"Not all, Carrots," responded Nick in kind.

"What? I thought you knew sign language. Isn't that what you used back at the Cliffside Asylum when we tracked down the savage mammals?"

"I know the basic stuff. But the way these two are communicating, it's like an advanced form of sign language. They start off with one or two words then the other quickly answers and then vice-versa. It's almost as if they're reading each other's minds."

"Did he actually say she's his mate? Huh, another interspecies, like us."

"Yeah, but we're the first pred-prey couple at least." Nick admitted proudly.

" _Au contraire_ , Nick," Gus said as he broke into their conversation. They turned to look at the bear who had the resigned look of a mammal who had just lost an argument. "I know of a very lovely hare-vixen couple who have kept a very low profile over the years because of the work they do. But with you two being the new darlings of interspecies couples, I wouldn't be surprised if they make their own announcement soon. I also have female friends, a bunny-hyena couple, who are lovers."

A fleeting memory of pulling over a speeding bear driving with a hyena and very pregnant bunny in the back crossed her mind. The bunny, she recalled, was obscenely bloated like a balloon about to pop. The highly agitated bear was rushing her to the hospital as she was about to give birth. But as soon as she tried to focus on the memory, she felt dizzy and her head hurt. Suddenly, she forgot what she was trying to remember as she felt Sirse looking at her. She smiled back at the vixen whose eyes seemed to twinkle mischievously. She signed a question to Judy and then looked at Gus.

"She's asking if you're feeling alright, Judy, and whether you'd like a glass of water?" Gus interpreted for his mate.

"Yes, I do feel a bit woozy. Maybe I shouldn't really exert myself as we're still on medical leave."

Sirse acknowledged Judy's request and left to get her a glass of water while Gus showed them to the dining room. "Please make yourself at home while I go change. Sirse's enthusiastic welcomes always tears me up."

Nick stared blankly at the receding back of Gus and then slyly grinned while finger-gunning him. "Aha! A mammal after my own heart."

Judy groaned and asked Sirse who-now dressed in an off shoulder, green cocktail dress which came to just above her knees-had returned with several glasses, a pitcher of water, and a cup of lavender tea for herself. "How do you put up with his bad puns? I can barely keep from hitting Nick when he does that. Oh, and I love your dress!"

Sirse acknowledged the compliment and did a slow twirl to show off the opalescent fabric as it hugged her obviously voluptuous contours and accentuated her lovely appendage as it flowed from her taut hindquarters. She then shrugged, snickered and signed slowly so Nick could read her message as she wagged her tail lazily while wiggling her eyebrows.

"She said: ' _He makes up for it in other ways.'_ ," he interpreted.

Judy blushed as she tittered. "Wish I could say the same for my lazy partner here. Seems like I do all the paperwork at the precinct."

"Why, Carrots, you wound me! At least I make sure that my mate eats eight times a day so she doesn't waste away."

"Hey, bunnies have a very high metabolism. Besides, I need to work off all those delicious calories from your culinary creations. I can't have your eye wandering coz I'm not keeping this figure trim," she said as she ran her paws down over her hips and flicked her tail enticingly as she looked at him with half-lidded eyes and licked her lips.

Nick nearly swallowed his tongue at the sudden change in her demeanour. He had never seen this side of her before. Not that he was complaining. In fact, even though he was on anti-libido pills, her actions prompted an instinctive reaction in him. He slid up to her, hooked his paw around her hip to pull her closer, and, growled softly into her ear as he licked its base while wrapping his tail around her waist.

"Officer Hopps," he whispered, "I should place you under arrest because it should be illegal to look so beautiful." he smirked.

Caught off guard by his actions, she shuddered as his hot breath tickled her inner ear and blushed as his tongue caressed her ear. Judy was surprised her heart was beating as fast as it was. She had been diligently taking her suppressants as her mother had suggested to lower her sexual urges as she did not want to place any pressure on Nick. But, she felt a heat come over her as she felt his claws lightly press against her outer thighs.

"Nick!" she hissed. "Not in front of her! We can continue this later...I promise."

"I'll hold you to that promise, Fluff," winking as he swiped his muzzle across her nose, marking her with his scent. "In fact, I want to hold more than that. This predator wants his prey in his den tonight."

She trembled at his words, clutching his shirt front, trying to collect her thoughts as his musk flooded her senses. "By Serendipity! Don't tease me, Officer Wilde, or else I'll be the one placing the cuffs on you for stealing my heart."

Having changed his ruined shirt, Gus walked in at that moment carrying a tray. "Here we are," he announced. "Three typical predator chicken _parmigiana_ dishes and a vegetarian spinach lasagna for-" he stood open-mouthed as he walked in on what appeared to be a very intimate moment between the two entangled police officers while his mate sat in her chair, a leg crossed over the other, innocently sipping her tea while averting her eyes away from the scene. The sound of his ahem caught the entwined pair unawares, as they suddenly realized to their embarrassment they had been caught _in flagrante delicto_. Mortified, they quickly arranged their disheveled clothing as Gus placed the food on the table. "I _was_ going to wish you _bon apetit_ but it looks like you both already have healthy appetites," he grinned.

Flustered, Judy attempted to shift the conversation elsewhere. "So, tell us, Gus. Why did Sirse attack you and how did she manage to disappear?" Judy asked.

Gus slapped his knee and roared out in laughter, startling Nick and Judy. "It's really my fault," he chuckled. "You see, we recently watched an old film called, ' _The Primrose Panther_ '. The main character of the movie, an Inspector Clawseau, had arranged for his driver/bodyguard, Catto, to attack him at random times in order to keep him alert. My mate," as he waved a paw in her direction with a loving twinkle in his eye, "is a martial arts teacher for a very select clientele and she thought it would be fun to do the same thing while she's training me."

"Let me get this straight," Nick interrupted. " _You_ agreed to let her ambush you? In your own home?"

Gus' booming laughter nearly deafened the two officers. "With Sirse, one doesn't agree. One acquiesces to her. She is a primal force of nature. Besides," smiling as he waggled his thick eyebrows at his mate, "the reward afterwards is always worth the struggle. Isn't that right, _mon petit cheri_?"

The object of his affection merely smirked back over the lip of her cup as she quickly signed back to him. Nick caught something about 'caterpillars' and 'burning them off your face' but other than that, he had no clue as to what she had said.

"But how did she manage to disappear?" Nick questioned.

"She's using a prototype of one of my inventions. It's a static cling dress with a built-in mimicking technology not unlike that of a chameleon. The dress doesn't require any buttons or zippers but uses a low voltage electric charge from a small battery to keep itself on its wearer. It also negates the need to have to go to a tailor. One simply puts on the fabric and when the power is turned on, it automatically fits the contours of the wearer's body. Then, you choose the pattern you want and the dress will display it. It also has the ability to mimic the appearance of having a traditional one. If you remember, when you first saw her, she had programmed the dress to copy the jumpsuit worn by the actress, Uma Furmammal, from the movie, ' _Kill Bull_ '. As you can see, she's now wearing a traditional evening dress, the colour of which perfectly complements her hazel eyes." He captured her paw in his as he began placing kisses up her arm. "Her bewitching, * _smooch_ * beguiling, * _smack_ * enchanting * _mwah_ * eyes that has me totally under her spell," he amorously declared as he tried to steal a kiss from her lips.

Sirse languidly watched and smiled as she had gotten used to his silly romantic antics. As his muzzle approached hers, she blocked it with her finger. She pecked his nose and made a few signs with her free paw. Gus frowned for a moment then smiled as he released her arm. "As you wish, _mon petit cheri_. I'll behave. . . but I'll be collecting on that promise tonight." Sirse responded by blowing him a kiss.

"That still doesn't explain how she was able to disappear," chimed in Judy.

"That's because she's wearing a more advanced prototype. The basic dress will only allow for certain choices. The one she's wearing," he nodded in her direction, "has a more advanced function of scanning the environment and copying it so that you blend in. I didn't notice her because when she straddled the ceiling corner, the dress made her look part of it. It's the camouflage option that I'm preparing to show to the military."

"I admit it's rather cool, but why don't you build it into the basic dress as well?" posited Judy.

Gus sighed. "It's not as simple as that. I know I could make make a fortune if I did. But I have a moral and ethical responsibility as an inventor. I often ask myself if I am letting Pandora out of the box again every time I create something that starts off as beneficial yet later turns into a literal Frankenstein.

"History is rife with examples: dynamite, atomic energy, 3D printing, Zoogle Earth. These seemingly helpful inventions created with the purpose of making life easier instead get turned around to be used against the very society it was meant to help," spoke the bear passionately, a grimace playing around his lips as he soapboxed. "You see, once the genie has been released from its bottle, who will be around to put it back? This is what I am always concerned about with my own creations.

"Tell me, Judy. Were you able to see or detect Sirse while she was in camouflage mode?"

"Uh...not really?"

"Imagine then if organized crime had just even one of these camouflage dresses. Can you imagine the crime spree they'd go on? Or the amount of classified information they could steal? I shudder to think what havoc they'd create if ever they got their paws on it."

"Then why even create such an invention? If the potential to misuse it is greater than the good it can bring, why do you even bother?" she accused.

Gus dejectedly settled back in his chair, his face a maelstrom of conflicting emotions. Sirse came around to his side, concern clearly written over her face as she clambered up the side of his chair to hug the bear around his neck. He wrapped his large arms around her small frame and pulled her closer. To the two officers, it was apparent the grizzly, who stood close to eight feet tall, weighing in at just over eight hundred pounds and whose species was known for their brute strength, was leaning on the smaller vixen for moral support. The irony was not lost on them.

Finally, he pulled back and gave the small fox a kiss on her muzzle. " _Merci, amor_ ," he whispered. She smiled and proceeded to curl around his neck. Grinning at her actions, he faced Judy and replied, "I've wrestled many times with that particular demon and all I've been able to come up with is: 'if not me, someone else will'. I've been able to assuage my conscience knowing that I can file enough patents on my inventions to prevent it from being misused. Even if it is only temporarily. But by doing so, I can sleep at night knowing that I've taken all the steps I can to safeguard my creations from falling into the wrong hands.

"The thing I value most is my family. I will do anything and everything to protect them. I intend to make the world a better place for them. Now, I'll admit the profits I make are sometimes embarrassingly huge but I share them with all my employees plus I make a lot of donations to well deserving charities. Which brings us to the reason for you coming to see me."

"Yes," Nick said, embarrassed about how the philosophical direction their conversation had taken had ended up troubling their host. "We don't mean to judge as each mammal's moral compass is their own business. I do believe, however, that yours points in the same direction as ours. We would not have approached you otherwise.

"The reason we've come to you today is to help us with raising funds for a small group of kits in the Bunnyburrow Cancer Ward with one of them being Judy's nephew, Zach. Nature has given them a bum deal. When I asked him what I could do to make his...his last days memorable, he said that he wanted to grant the wishes of the other kits who didn't have the same opportunity as he did. He's a real sweetheart and doesn't even think of himself.

"If you can refer us to a group of philanthropists in your circle of society, we plan to go to each of them asking for contributions to this cause of ours." Nick ended as he looked hopefully to the older mammal.

Gus pondered for a while. He looked up and asked Nick, "What is this young rabbit's last name?"

"Grazier." answered the tod, wondering why the ursine needed it.

"Francine?" Gus called out.

"Yes, Master Gus?" spoke the pleasant disembodied voice, startling the fox and bunny.

"Please look up one Zach Grazier currently staying at the Bunnyburrow General Hospital in their Cancer Ward," Gus directed the spectral voice. "Please check his medical files and let me know what you find. Also, please begin Protocol Charlie Whiskey 007."

"As you wish."

"Splendid. Now, Nicholas Wilde and Judith Hopps, I must inform you that this conversation is being audio and video recorded for legal purposes and we will need your consent to continue."

"Who-what-where?" spluttered Judy, ears upright in confusion as she scanned the room to find the other speaker. Nick, on the other paw, stiffened at the words, 'recorded' and 'legal', having had previously poor experiences when they were used together in one sentence.

Noticing his guests' confusion, he addressed the invisible mammal in the room. "Francine," he chided the voice, "did you forget to introduce yourself to our guests?"

"It was not my intention to omit such a basic courtesy, Sir, but they appeared agitated when I spoke to them at the foyer so I surmised further conversation with them would only cause their mental state to quickly escalate into a higher state of anxiety. I calculated that the better option would be for you to make the necessary introductions."

"In other words, you didn't want to scare them so you're leaving it to me to explain."

"I believe that is what I said."

Gus rolled his eyes.

"That is an immature response, Sir. Mistress Sirse has advised me to increase your training difficulty level each time you act inappropriately."

Gus glared at his mate wrapped around his neck. She merely grinned and waggled her eyebrows at him.

"Fine!" he huffed. "It is clear I am outnumbered here. Francine, your assessment of the situation was correct and I will proceed from here.

"Judy, Nick, my apologies again," he huffed, turning to the pair, "I should have made introductions earlier. Francine is my virtual butler, Girl Friday, legal assistant, and security officer here in my house. She's an AI who was randomly born during one of my many experiments to create a Virtual Intelligence persona for my product line called Handicapped Helpers. The products are meant to assist those who are disabled to assimilate themselves back into regular society. For example, I created a beautiful choker for my mate which has a small speaker built into it. Using a virtual reality glove and an optical head-mounted display built into glasses, the VI was meant to convert inputs via a virtual keyboard or her signing into actual words.

"As usual," he glared at the little vixen who stuck her tongue at him, "my mate refused on the grounds it interferes with her fighting ability. That," he grumbled good-naturedly, "and she doesn't see being mute as a handicap. There is also the issue where I haven't found a way to make the glove both comfortable and able to survive a punch against a concrete block." Seeing their puzzled looks, he explained further. "That's how she broke the last one. Suffice to say, both the block and glove did not survive the demonstration." he chuckled.

"Anyway, Protocol Charlie Whiskey 007 is a legal and binding agreement between myself and any foundation I donate to. Francine records everything and then converts the transcripts into a working contract."

"But...we aren't a foundation. We're just two mammals looking to help a bunch of young kits." Nick spoke up. "Plus, we won't have time to run one as we're pretty busy with our regular jobs as police officers."

Gus steepled the digits of his paws against his jaw as he scrutinized his two guests. "Hmm… that is a bit of a problem. Would I be able to convince you two to resign from the force in order to work for me? Whatever your salaries are, I'm sure I can easily match it. Like I said, money would not be a problem."

Judy shook her head in disbelief at the offer. "Gus, we certainly didn't join the ZPD for the money. Gaia knows Nick and I have had our fair share of near-death experiences. Yet, despite those, we look forward to putting on our uniforms every day in order to help make the world a better place, one day at a time."

"I'm on the same page as Judy," Nick agreed. "There are other safer professions out there. But, the beat of the drum we both march to calls us to serve and protect our fellow mammals. I'll admit," he shrugged abjectly, "that there are days I wonder if it's all worth it. However, when we receive the heartfelt thanks of a mammal whom we've been able to help, then that's when I know it is."

Gus nodded understandingly. "Forgive this old bear's boorishness then. I just wanted to make sure as this project speaks to my heart. Now," clapping his paws, "enough of this dreariness. Let us get down to business. Nick," he turned to the reynard, "why stop at only ten young kits? And why only at Bunnyburrow General Hospital? What about the Zootopia General Hospital? Deerbrooke County General? The Tri-Burrows Medical Centre? I'm thinking long-term here not just a one-shot deal. I've been meaning to look for a worthwhile cause for some time and I can't think of anything that fits the bill more than making the lives of sick young mammals who have to go through the pain and suffering of cancer treatments a little more bearable.

"What if…" the bear mused, deep in thought, as he muttered to himself, "I use one of the off-the-shelf paper companies I have and convert that into a working foundation whose mission will be to fulfill the wish of a terminally ill child and help out their family? I can make a sizeable donation to use as seed money and then we can tap the other philanthropists for additional working funds. Zach and the other kits can be our initial wish grantees but we need to generate a lot of publicity when we do this in order to establish it in the eyes of other mammals as a worthwhile cause."

Both Nick and Judy were awestruck as they processed the suggestion.

"Wow…" Nick murmured, "just...wow."

"Same here. Wow." Judy concurred.

"Master Gus," Francine abruptly chimed in, "I've forwarded the medical reports of one Zachary Grazier to your tablet. It appears that his estimated lifespan is quite short given the nature of his illness."

"Wait!" Judy cried. "Those are private records. How did you gain access to them?"

"I'm sorry," the bear sheepishly admitted. "I should have asked permission beforehand. Because of the nature of my work, I have a very high security clearance with various government departments. I wanted to learn how serious his illness was and I felt time was of the essence. This is a necessary step in the screening process of selecting candidates. I sometimes take shortcuts in order to speed up the process. I'm hope you understand I only have good intentions and I beg your forgiveness regarding the breach in privacy."

"C'mon, Carrots. It's not like we didn't do the same thing when we solved the Nighthowler Case."

"Fine," Judy huffed. "You're entitled to one 'Get Out of Jail' favour," she grumbled at the bear, "and you just used it up!" She climbed up on the table, walked angrily over to him and pointed her forefinger while giving Gus the stinky-eye look. "Don't make me regret this, buster." she growled.

"Perish the thought!" Gus nervously smiled, fearfully cringing as he put both paws up in abject surrender. "Francine will adhere to the proper procedure from now on. Scout's honour."

"What my mate means to say,' Nick hastily interrupted as he dragged Judy back to her seat, "is that we appreciate your candor and honesty about the situation and we accept your apology."

"He'd better behave!" she mumbled under her breath as she took her seat, still glaring at the ursine but momentarily placated.

Sirse, who had remained curled around the bear's neck throughout the exchange, tapped him on the side of his muzzle to get his attention. When he looked at her, she held a single digit upright on her right paw as she glared at him.

"Strike one?" Gus sputtered in confusion. "What did I do to-" He looked in horror as the vixen now held a second digit up on her right paw. Gus nervously swallowed, closed his eyes and bowed his head. " _Mea culpa, amor. Errare brutum est. Non compos mentis. Non obstante, ignorantia non excusat._ " he intoned under his breath. When she was satisfied that he had been properly chastised, only then did the little vixen's features soften as she placed her small paws underneath the bear's large jaw and lifted it up to kiss him sweetly and gently on his lips. Afterwards, she returned to her former position around her lover's neck.

Regaining his composure, Gus continued. "Back to the subject of publicity. Now, ever since the Nighthowler Case, you two have been the talk of the town, more so now that your relationship was made public. So, my proposal is that the two of you sit as Co-Chairmammals of the foundation, leaving the day to day running of it to others. You can nominate whomever you wish to sit on the Board on your behalf since your police duties may not allow you to attend the monthly Board meetings. They will be automatically be part of the Screening Committee for the selection of kits and their family who are most deserving of the foundation's assistance. So are you in agreement?"

"There's just one problem," Judy said with an evil twinkle in her eye.

"What's that?" asked Gus.

"We never gave you our consent to continue the recording," she giggled.

Gus stared at her wide-eyed and then slapped his head with a massive paw as he audibly groaned while his three companions doubled up in laughter.

* * *

"Thank you for allowing us to use the recordings _ex post facto_ ," Gus commented as he escorted the fox and bunny to the front door. "While you're both on medical leave, let me do some brainstorming with other like-minded mammals as to what we can do to kickstart the foundation's first fund-raising activity. I'll keep you updated on the plans."

"Thank you for all your help Gus," Judy commented as they were leaving, "and I apologize for my outburst at the table. You've been nothing but kind and gracious. Zach will be very happy with the news. And, as an added bonus," leaning into Nick's side, she wrapped an arm around his waist, "you didn't make my mate a liar in Zach's eyes."

"I really owe you one, buddy." Nick said as he stretched out a paw to the bear.

The bear readily clasped the fox's paw in his own massive one. "No, Nick, you don't. It's the other way around actually," he said as he caught Nick up in a one-armed hug. "You're helping me pay it forward."

Embarrassed, Nick managed to stammer out: "Think nothing of it."

As he watched the pair leave, Gus questioned the vixen by his side. "Why did you use your abilities on them, _amor_? After the incident with Nera and Amenii, I thought we agreed to avoid it as much as possible."

Sirse signed back: " _I did it to help her. She was trying to remember an event that had been undone which is why she was having a headache. I thought it best to nudge her and her mate in order to distract her. Besides,_ " she smirked, " _they didn't need much pushing. They're both ready to rut at this point. I merely strengthened the desire._ "

"You mean she was about to remember the first time I met her with Nera and a pregnant Amenii? How is that possible? I thought I had undone the event with the use of the Temporal Interlocation Causal Transport Oscillating Chronometer?

" _The TICTOC machine?_ " she snorted. " _Seriously_? _You need to come up with better names for the 'toys' The Baron gives you._ "

* * *

A few weeks after their meeting with Gus Ghrizzly, Judy and Nick made their way into the Great Hall of Zootopia where three well-known mammals were waiting for them at a table setup in front of the stage. They had received a missive from the bear advising the pair that he had setup a preliminary meeting in order to discuss the nature of the charity fundraiser.

They were back in Zootopia after completing their mandatory medical leave. Considering the grievousness of their injuries, their attending doctor had advised Nick and Judy be kept on light duty for a few more months as they needed to fully recover in order to be at one hundred percent capability. Police work being very rigorous and demanding, Bogo concurred as he didn't want his two best officers committing rookie mistakes because they were still recuperating. In coordination with the Mayor's Office, Bogo readily agreed to allow them to concentrate on the fundraising efforts. For all parties involved, it was a win-win situation: it would generate good public relations for both the Mammal Inclusion Initiative and the ZPD, both Nick and Judy avoided being shackled to their desks buried in paperwork and boredom, and Bogo didn't have to listen to Nick's wisecracks for another few months.

Nick could see Judy was very nervous by the way she was wringing her paws and her nose kept twitching. They were meeting several high-profile celebrities and she was just managing to keep her inner fangirl in check. Judy quickly glanced in Nick's direction for support, her ears all aquiver, wide-eyed as she attempted to wipe the excess moisture from her paw pads. Nick could only smile. His mate, who had no fear of facing down criminals, and who had easily knocked out her fair share of mammals ten times her size, was acting like a little kit about to meet her favourite celebrity for the very first time.

"Easy there, Carrots. With the way you're fidgeting, you might open up one of your old wounds. Besides, we don't want you having a heart attack before we meet your idols, now do we?" Nick smirked.

"Nick! How can you be so calm?" Judy exclaimed. "We're about to meet the renowned stage directress, Julie Neighmore, winner of the Pony Awards for the Wolf Disney Broadway musical, _The Lion Monarch_. Then there's the well-known singer/songwriter, Sir Pelton John who wrote the Oxcar Award winning Best Song, _Feel the Love_. As for Sir Andrew Hogg Webber, why he is arguably the most successful composer of our time! _Felines_ and _The Phantom_ have set several records for the longest running musicals!" she gushed. "Aside from Gazelle, I've always wanted to meet them. Those three are giants in the Zootway theatre world."

Julie Neighmore caught sight of the pair and waved them over to the table. "Officers Wilde and Hopps! Welcome! We were just about to start rehearsals for the musical fundraiser," the Gypsy Horse greeted them. "I'm sure you know Sir Pelton," she gestured to a bespectacled meerkat, "and Sir Andrew," waving a hoof in the direction of a portly warthog. "Andrew came up with the idea of a musical based on your adventures in Zootopia. We're calling it, _Nighthowlers: The Musical_!" she said with a sweeping dramatic flourish, chuckling. "He's already made several drafts and Pelton has a few ideas for the music."

"Yes, however," the meerkat sighed dejectedly, "we don't have any word from Wolf Disney about using my Oxcar winning song, _Feel the Love_ for the fundraiser. But not to worry!" he said enthusiastically, "I've got several others that we can use and Sir Andrew is letting us use some of his songs from his musicals, as well."

The boar grunted. "Never thought Wolfie would waffle on a simple fundraiser like this. It's only a one-night production and it's for a very good cause. Considering who his target audience is, you'd think he'd let us use one measly song," said the porcine crossly.

" _Hakuna matata_ , Andrew." the meerkat chuckled, "Don't be too hard on Wolfie. If he sees that this fundraiser is a success, he's promised to support the foundation all the way. We've talked about free lodging and rides at his theme park plus the unlimited use of his various mascots for the deserving kits. He's a business mammal first, but he has a warm, beating heart underneath all that fur," he smiled.

"Well, now that's out of the way," the horse declared as she clapped her hooves together, "there's the small matter of picking our leads for the musical. Judy," she turned to face the excited bunny who was still trying to contain her adoration, "we think you would be perfect for the part for the female lead given that you've had previous stage experience plus you have such natural enthusiasm."

Judy swooned. She was so giddily surprised by those words she immediately began hopping up and down with Nick's shirt bundled up in her paws. "Nick! Did you hear! They want me to star as the female lead. Oh, I'm beside myself. And I'm sure you'll be my co-star!" Judy squealed with delight.

"Uh, no." Julie flatly answered, as a slight sneer curled along her lips.

Judy whirled around, dumbfounded. "But, why?" she asked. "Nick's a natural actor! And how hard will it be? After all, he'll be playing himself."

"He's…how shall I put it…a fox!" Sir Andrew said ungraciously. "Nobody would believe that a shifty, untrustworthy, cheating mammal would help anyone except themselves much less become a police officer!"

"Besides," chimed in the meerkat snobbishly as he scanned Nick's dossier, "according to his file, he has no stage experience whatsoever! So, I've reached out to some of my friends and there's this hare actor by the name of Jack -"

"No!" interrupted Judy, fuming. "If my mate isn't going to be in the musical because of your-" She stopped when she felt Nick's paw on her shoulder.

"Let me handle this, Carrots," Nick said with a smug grin.

"But, Nick, they-" Judy began to angrily retort.

"Shh! Trust me." Nick smiled as he went on, squatting to be on eye level with her, massaging her shoulders to calm her. "You bunnies, so emotional." Nick teased.

"Hmph! Fine!" Judy snapped as she crossed her paws across her chest, ears down and sporting an adorable frown while thumping her right hind paw rapidly in anger. Nick found her so adorably cute when she pouted in this manner but would never say it to her face, not unless he wanted two permanent bunny-sized pawprints on his back.

"Now, where were we, my good mammals?" Nick enquired as he stood up. "Ah, yes! You said my file says nothing about stage experience. What if I can prove my worth? Would you reconsider your stand, then?" wheedled Nick.

The three mammals looked at each other, and then shrugged their shoulders. "The stage is all yours, Officer." Julie offered indifferently, waving a hoof at the stage behind her.

Nick winked at Judy and calmly walked towards the stage then quickly bounded onto it in one fluid motion.

Judy was worried for Nick as she took a seat near the stage. She knew his side still hurt from the injury he had suffered when he had rescued her from the deranged hyena. They had mostly recovered from their injuries but she knew he still was in some pain because she had seen him taking the prescription painkillers from time to time. And although he was a good hustler, the injury might affect his ability to act and those three were the best of Zootway. She had heard they could be merciless with criticism, worse even than that bovine, Simon, from Zootopia's Got Talent. She prayed to Serendipity, the bunny god, and Karma, her mate's deity, to be there for him.

Nick stood upright at center stage, facing away from them. He straightened his back, slightly inclined his head and, assuming a regal posture, he slowly turned. As he did, his demeanour changed, taking on a beseeching look. He raised his eyes to the ceiling and, in a powerful voice, began to orate:

 _O, my offence is rank it smells to heaven;  
_ _It hath the primal eldest curse upon't,  
_ _A brother's murder. Pray can I not,  
_ _Though inclination be as sharp as will:  
_ _My stronger guilt defeats my strong intent;  
_ _And, like a mammal to double business bound,  
_ _I stand in pause where I shall first begin,  
_ _And both neglect. What if this cursed paw  
_ _Were thicker than itself with brother's blood,  
_ _Is there not rain enough in the sweet heavens  
_ _To wash it white as snow? Whereto serves mercy  
_ _But to confront the visage of offence?_

She recognized the lines from a classic play she had studied for her English Literature class in Bunnyburrow High School. Suddenly, she no longer was in the Great Hall surrounded by empty theatre seats. She found herself transported to a cold, gloomy castle where torches flickered, casting shadows on the wall as a newly-crowned king was nervously pacing about his bedchamber. He suddenly threw himself on his knees, paws clasped together, forlornly praying to a higher power as a storm raged outside.

 _And what's in prayer but this twofold force,  
_ _To be forestalled ere we come to fall,  
_ _Or pardon'd being down? Then I'll look up;  
_ _My fault is past. But, O, what form of prayer  
_ _Can serve my turn? 'Forgive me my foul murder'?  
_ _That cannot be; since I am still possess'd  
_ _Of those effects for which I did the murder,  
_ _My crown, mine own ambition and my queen.  
_ _May one be pardon'd and retain the offence?_

Slack-jawed, she stared wide-eyed at the regal creature, her heart skipping a beat as she listened in on the gruesome confession. Wracked by guilt, the fox continued to beseech the heavens for mercy as they seemed to rage in anger at the horror of his deed.

 _In the corrupted currents of this world  
_ _Offence's gilded paw may shove by justice,  
_ _And oft 'tis seen the wicked prize itself  
_ _Buys out the law: but 'tis not so above;  
_ _There is no shuffling, there the action lies  
_ _In his true nature; and we ourselves compell'd,  
_ _Even to the teeth and forehead of our faults,  
_ _To give in evidence. What then? what rests?  
_ _Try what repentance can: what can it not?  
_ _Yet what can it when one can not repent?  
_ _O wretched state! O bosom black as death!  
_ _O limed soul, that, struggling to be free,  
_ _Art more engaged! Help, angels! Make assay!  
_ _Bow, stubborn knees; and, heart with strings of steel,  
_ _Be soft as sinews of the newborn babe!  
_ _All may be well._

She returned back to the Great Hall by the time Nick ended his soliloquy. He was down on one knee, eyes closed, muzzle and paws raised towards the ceiling, having confessed his unforgivable crime to the heavens above. His face, no longer bearing the regal look, had transformed into one beseeching for respite from the emotional storm churning within.

Judy was mesmerized. She had never seen this side of Nick before. It was as if he had transformed into a whole new mammal. The sorrow that he spoke of, the guilt of committing the crime, the utter despair of the character he was playing… she felt all that and more. As soon as he had ended, she immediately jumped up onto her seat and started enthusiastically clapping her paws while simultaneously thumping her right hind paw in a rapid staccato. She put two digits of her paws in her mouth, emitting a very loud wolf whistle.

Nick got up from his kneeling position and, with a smug grin, leapt off the stage only to have Judy glomp him.

"Oh, Nick, that was… incredible!" Judy gushed as she carefully bear hugged her mate, mindful he was still recovering from the gunshot wound. "I never knew you had it in you!"

Nick only chuckled as he attempted not to fall over, hugging Judy back. "Thanks, Carrots! It's been some time so I think I was a little rusty up there. But what say you three?" Nick asked as he turned to face the three mammals. "Do you think our old drama coach would approve?" he smirked.

The horse answered first. "Nick, you know we can't give you a ten for that performance. Why, your timing was off by at least one-tenth of a second."

"Agreed," harrumphed the boar, "and your voice was not low enough. Another octave lower and you would have been perfect!"

"Having said that," the meerkat commented, "we agreed that as per the standards 'Shakespeare' persistently drummed into us, we can only give you a 9.9" flashing a large toothy grin as he raised a scorecard with the number written on it.

Judy was floored. "You know them?" she asked, her head awhirl.

Nick laughed heartily. "I told you I know everyone in Zootopia. They hustled you, sweetheart! Our old drama coach, 'Shakespeare', is a vagrant leopard we knew when all four of us used to hustle the streets. I still see him around once in awhile, dressed as The Bard. He's a little touched in the head but is a damn good actor who taught us in the fine art of thespianism. We used to hold street plays in order to raise money for food. And, not to brag, but we had them eating out of our paws.

Nick eyed his former gang of buskers. "Looks like you guys decided to follow the straight and narrow and you've certainly made names for yourselves."

"You could have joined us, Nick, when that tv producer offered us a spot," mentioned Julie. "You would have made a great stage actor. 'Shakespeare' always gave you the meaty roles. I admit when we set up this prank we wanted to see you in action again. That," pointing towards the stage with her hoof, "was the best King Claudius I've seen in a long time. Why didn't you?"

"Aside from the fact that he deliberately ignored me because I was a fox?" Nick abjectly shrugged. "I never felt the compulsion or passion for it. I just learnt the craft to help me with my hustling. Until I got hustled myself, by a mammal with the largest heart I have ever seen." He wrapped his arm around Judy's shoulder, pulling her closer to him and giving her a kiss on the lips. "And I've never regretted it." Nick whispered.

Judy pulled an ear down trying to hide her blushing face, unused to Nick's public praise of her. "Oh, shush, Slick!" she chuckled as she hit him with a hip bump.

"Anyway," Nick lightheartedly began, "now that we've verified I can act and you've had your fun with my mate, where do we go from here?"

Julie smiled. "We've got a few more production issues to iron out. We are arranging to have Leonard Bearnstein conduct the Zootopian Philharmonic Orchestra for the musical. In the meantime," she tossed two copies of the musical script over to the two mammals who easily caught them. "Read this, memorize your lines and come back to me in a week's time. We'll begin rehearsals then. Don't worry about tonal inflections or the sheet music. We'll cover them when we start rehearsals."

As the fox and bunny turned to go, Julie casually mentioned, "Oh, and Gazelle agreed to act as a vocal coach for the both of you."

Julie was sure she had never heard any mammal shriek a note that high. She grinned as she pitied Nick, seeing he was closest to the source.

* * *

Author's note: For the guest from Fanfiction who asked: only Jasmine has made an attempt to hit on Nick because...she's Jasmine! The fact that he's Judy's boyfriend who wants nothing to do with her only adds spice to the challenge. Juniper was only being polite to Nick when she complimented him on his looks. Like she said, she's already spoken for. Nick, on the other hand, was just being his overly dramatic and smug self when he said that to Juniper who literally laughed in his face.

Thank you to all my readers for your patience. I wanted to add a Christmas story to this chapter but alas, it's already run far longer than I wanted. I may add the Christmas story to the next chapter. As to when it will be finished, I can't tell you as my life is going to get pretty complicated as January 31st comes around. Rest assured that I have no intention of abandoning this as there are at least three more before I can wrap up the Foundation Series (no relation to the beautiful scifi work of Isaac A.)

I've introduced two OCs here that will lead into a new series that I'll be calling: _Tales From the Shark Pool_. Gus, my zoosona and Code-Shark's OC, Sirse Sinclair, having made their debut appearance, will star along with other OCs from CS' universe in an offshoot that may at times have our favourite ship appear in a cameo role. Most of the stories have been written but-like diamonds in the rough-need to be polished so that they can shine brilliantly like the stars in the sky. What makes this new series interesting is that we will delve into as many crossovers as we can get away with considering our two protagonists are Zootopian based mammals.

References and inspiration come from the following:

DancingLunarWolves' "Immemorial" found in DA, AO3 and FF  
Hamlet, Act 3 Scene 3 by William Shakespeare (modified for Zootopia)


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